They cause pain and the opponent is temporarily paralyzed: Tasers are controversial in police work.

Federal police officers will be allowed to use so-called Tasers across the board in the future. This is according to a draft law from the Federal Ministry of the Interior, which the Federal Cabinet plans to approve today. "Emergency forces must have all operational and command resources at their disposal in order to be able to act effectively and at the same time proportionately," states the document, which was obtained by the German Press Agency.

The use of firearms is always a last resort. "To ensure the most gradual approach possible when applying direct force, remote electroshock devices, colloquially known as stun guns or tasers, can be used."

A Taser is a device that delivers electric shocks from a distance, causing painful muscle contractions. This typically incapacitates a person. These weapons are controversial because Tasers can have health consequences when used against people with heart disease or cardiovascular problems.

The draft law underscores the preventive effect of the devices. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) had already announced the equipping of the Federal Police with Tasers, and the draft law is now intended to create legal certainty for this.

"The Taser is the right tool to act precisely at the interface between the baton as a close-range weapon and the pistol as a long-range weapon," Dobrindt recently said.