Libertarians, however, will be much more cautious.

Tasers have been trialled in major Victorian regional centres since 2010, and in Ballarat since last year.

They have been rarely used, which reflects both the restraint of those who have Tasers and also the very few incidents where police are forced to use such equipment.

The scepticism about the wider roll-out will centre on the examples of other states and nations where Tasers are a common weapon in enforcing community safety.

There have been far too many examples where offenders have been killed after being Tasered.

Four New South Wales police officers  have pleaded not guilty to assault charges over the death of young Brazilian student Roberto Laudisio Curti. The 21-year-old man died within minutes of being Tasered up to 14 times, sprayed with capsicum spray and held on the ground by police.  Mr Curti had stolen a packet of biscuits from a convenience store and was delusional and behaving erratically after consuming a small amount of LSD.

In the United States, Amnesty International has continued to tally what it claims are deaths associated with Tasers, claims that are hotly disputed.

Despite the concerns, the government believes Tasers, in controlled use by suitably trained officers, can be an effective tool for police.

Police Minister Kim Wells this week stated: “This announcement will provide regional police officers with modern equipment and an alternative option to firearms, helping them to manage these complex situations and to minimise the risk of serious injury and fatalities.

“The use of Tasers has so far been restricted to Victoria Police specialist units and selected trial regional centres, but there is a clear need for police on general duties to have their own access.”

As with any change to equipment or methods of policing, the success of the expansion of the Tasers is more about management of use rather than the weapons themselves.