ANATOLY VYBORNY: "Tasers will increase the level of safety in transport"

Anatoly Vyborny, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption, has introduced a bill that proposes to give employees of transport security units the right to use electric shock devices.

The day before, the bill received a positive opinion from the Government of the Russian Federation and was approved at a meeting of the Coordinating Council of the United Russia RUNWAY faction.

"Currently, employees of transport security units – that is, including those who ensure security at airports, train stations, and the subway - have the right to purchase, store, and carry official firearms. At the same time, the use of firearms by transport security units (PTB) is strictly limited – such weapons cannot be used in places of mass residence of people.

At the same time, the threat is more than real. Thus, according to statistics, in 2017, 467 acts of unlawful interference (ANV) were recorded at transport infrastructure facilities in Russia - that is, illegal actions, including terrorist acts, threatening the safe operation of the transport complex, and capable of causing harm to human life and health. This figure includes the tragedy in the St. Petersburg metro. In addition, over the past year, PTB employees in Russia seized 247 firearms, 56.5 thousand ammunition and 32 kg of explosives. And often, PTB employees seize these weapons, being themselves, in fact, unarmed.

The proposed bill proposes to correct the situation by giving PTB employees the right to carry and use electroshock devices.

This right has already been granted, among others, to police officers, military personnel of the Rosgvardiya, employees of federal postal service organizations and officials of specially authorized state bodies for the protection, supervision and regulation of the use of wildlife and their habitat. In addition, Russian citizens and foreign citizens do not need to obtain a license to purchase this type of civilian self-defense weapon.

I am convinced that expanding the arsenal of PTB defensive capabilities will not only give more confidence to those who serve in places of mass stay of people, but also, in general, increase the level of security at airports, in the subway and other transport infrastructure facilities," Anatoly Vyborny said.