Customs officers given 'pepper spray' in year-long trial

Tuesday 09 February 2021

Frontline Customs and Immigration Officers will now be allowed to use 'pepper spray' as part of a 12-month trial.

The powers to carry and use PAVA (pelargonic acid vanillylamide) Spray were granted last month by Home Affairs Minister Constable Len Norman.

PAVA Spray - colloquially known as 'pepper spray' - is an irritant which is normally sprayed into the eyes.

Citing the rationale for allowing officers to carry spray devices, a report accompanying the Ministerial Decision states: “Essential frontline activity within JCIS can expose officers to situations which carry a risk of injury when dealing with physical confrontation involving violent individuals."

Pictured: The PAVA Spray is intended to prevent situations from escalating to hand-to-hand violence. 

It continues: “These risks apply to both the Officers and the individual. In addition, JCIS officers are likely to be working to a greater age in the future which present an increased risk of injury to a potentially violent person as well as the JCIS officers. 

“PAVA incapacitant spray would reduce the need to physically engage with a violent person and reduce the likelihood of injury.”

Officers will only be allowed to use the spray after finishing “simple” training, and would only be carried at the Harbour, the Airport or “an operational risk assessment justified it” such as a search warrant.

Pictured: The move was signed off by Home Affairs Minister Constable Len Norman in a ministerial decision.

It adds another form of restraint to the Officers’ roster, which already includes handcuffing, defensive skills and physical restraints like wrist and arm locks. 

The report adds that the measure “is intended to provide an additional means of mitigating risk of sustained injury (to officers and members of the public) and of de-escalating potentially violent situations. 

“PAVA spray would provide a further tactical option which would negate the need to physically restrain individuals and would reduce the risk of injury to both the officer and the individual.”