Essex Police was one of the first forces to have the new kind of baton guns unveiled by the Met police
Since last November, specially-trained officers in the county have had access to the plastic bullet guns - but so far they have not been fired during an incident.
A spokesman said all 200 of the force's authorised firearms officers are trained to use its 20 baton guns.
He said: "The baton gun provides an additional tactical option. It's not a replacement for conventional firearms, which will continue to be deployed.
"The gun meets very strict requirements and is classed as a firearm so will only be deployed by officers who have gone through a rigourous firearms training programme."
Published Tuesday August 27, 2002
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