An additional 1,800 Metropolitan Police officers are to be issued with Tasers, taking the total number of officers carrying the weapon to 6,400.
Commissioner Cressida Dick says the expansion will allow her officers to better protect the public and themselves from “violent incidents”.
Her decision comes in the wake of two terror attacks in the city and a 24 per cent surge in knife crimes over the last year, as well a “steady increase” in the number of police officers assaulted.
As a result of the increase around a third of all frontline officers will now carry the non-lethal weapons.
Commissioner Dick said: “Keeping the public safe from harm is at the heart of our job. With this uplift, my officers will be better equipped to protect the public and themselves.
“We know that the mere presence of a Taser is often enough to defuse a dangerous situation and often get a suspect to drop their weapon if they’re armed.
“Taser reduces the need for physical contact and also the risk of unintended or unnecessary injuries to all parties.”
The Met routinely publishes detailed, borough level statistics on Taser, allowing members of the public and the London Assembly’s police and crime committee to monitor the number of times the weapons are used.
In addition, Commissioner Dick says the roll-out of body worn cameras to all uniformed officers means Londoners “can also rest assured that the use of Taser is correctly recorded and monitored and that the use of it is subject to comprehensive scrutiny.”
