The Milan Municipal Council has authorized the Polizia Locale di Milano to carry taser stun guns permanently. A six-month trial concluded in January 2026, and the permanent authorization was approved on June 29-30, 2026, with a vote of 24 in favor and 6 against. The move equips Italy's second-largest municipal force with electroshock weapons but comes with strict limitations on where they can be deployed and a mandatory review after 12 months.
Why This Matters:
• Restricted zones: Taser use is explicitly prohibited in nightlife districts to avoid accidental discharge in crowded areas.
• Mandatory oversight: The police chief must report to the mayor within one year on usage patterns, health impacts, and incidents involving vulnerable populations.
• Expanded patrols: At least 25 evening and 20 late-night patrol units will now operate, with fixed posts in entertainment zones.
Deployment Rules and Safety Protocols
The Milan ordinance introduces Article 24-bis into the municipal police code, governing the distribution and handling of conducted energy weapons. Only officers assigned to territorial security, urban safety operations, or judicial police duties will carry the device. Individual assignment is tied to mandatory twice-yearly training sessions, and the weapon must be returned at the end of each shift—it is not personal equipment.
The Agenzia di Tutela della Salute (ATS) health authority provided binding guidance that shaped the final rules. Tasers cannot be fired at minors, pregnant women, elderly individuals, or anyone visibly intoxicated or experiencing mental health crises. The prohibition extends to all designated movida zones—areas with high concentrations of bars, clubs, and public gatherings—where the risk of bystander injury or crowd panic is deemed too high.
The Six-Month Trial: Zero Actual Discharges
During the experimental phase that ran from July 2025 to January 2026, Milan's municipal police never once discharged a taser in an actual confrontation. Officers reported that displaying the weapon or warning of its presence was sufficient to de-escalate multiple incidents during the trial period. Proponents cite this as evidence of the device's deterrent value; critics argue it proves the weapon is unnecessary.
Michele Albiani, the Democratic Party councilor who chairs the municipal security commission, voiced concerns during the final debate: "It would be a responsibility if someone were to die. We are asking for another 12 months of monitoring." His amendment requiring the annual report was adopted alongside provisions for ATS medical tracking of anyone struck by the weapon.
What Milan Residents Should Know
For people living in or near nightlife districts—Navigli, Porta Romana, Isola, Corso Como—the practical impact is mixed. Increased patrols and fixed posts should provide a more visible police presence, particularly after midnight when noise complaints and street altercations spike. However, officers in those zones will not be armed with tasers, relying instead on traditional batons, pepper spray, and verbal de-escalation.
Residents with family members experiencing psychiatric episodes or substance dependency should note the explicit ATS prohibition: municipal police are barred from using electroshock weapons on individuals showing signs of mental health distress or intoxication. This follows national and European human rights guidance warning that tasers can be fatal to people in these conditions.
Anyone stopped or confronted by Milan's municipal force in other neighborhoods may now encounter officers carrying the X26 or X2 model taser, identifiable by a distinctive yellow and black casing worn on the belt. If the device is drawn, Italian law requires the officer to issue a verbal warning before firing unless there is imminent risk of serious bodily harm.
National Context: A Patchwork of Adoption
Milan joins a growing but uneven roster of Italian municipalities arming local police with conducted energy devices. Sesto San Giovanni began deployment in May 2026 after officer training. Buccinasco, also in the Milan metro area, made tasers permanent after a 2023 trial and won unanimous council backing. Cittadella in Padova province became the first in its region to authorize two units.
Genoa took the opposite path: after adopting tasers in 2022, the city suspended the program in September 2025 following a series of deaths nationwide linked to taser use by state and local police. Verona, Firenze, Monza, Padova, and Reggio Emilia launched trials between 2022 and 2024 with varying outcomes.
Legislative changes in 2018 originally limited electroshock weapons to provincial capitals or cities exceeding 100,000 residents. A 2024 amendment to the public administration decree lowered the threshold to 20,000 inhabitants, provided the municipality maintains a secure armory for weapon storage. This expansion has accelerated adoption in mid-sized towns, though equipment costs—roughly €1,500 per unit plus training—remain a barrier for smaller budgets.
Health Risks and International Scrutiny
European research casts doubt on the safety narrative. A 2017 Dutch pilot study found that tasers were deployed against already-restrained individuals in approximately half of all cases—suspects in handcuffs, inside cells, or in psychiatric wards who posed no immediate threat. Amnesty International documented over 1,000 deaths in the United States and Canada between 2000 and 2017 where tasers were a contributing or primary factor, with 90% of victims unarmed. The United Nations Committee Against Torture classified certain taser models, including the X26, as instruments of torture in a 2007 report.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled against Lithuania in a 2014 case, finding that unjustified taser use constituted inhuman and degrading treatment under Article 3 of the European Convention. Medical studies confirm that the 50,000-volt discharge can trigger cardiac arrest in individuals with pre-existing heart conditions, intoxication, or extreme physical exertion.
An unexpected finding from a University of Cambridge study with London's City Police identified what researchers call the "weapons effect": officers visibly carrying tasers used force 48% more often and were themselves assaulted more frequently than unarmed colleagues. The presence of the weapon appeared to escalate rather than defuse confrontations.
Training and Accountability Gaps
Italian municipal forces receive initial three-day taser instruction, supplemented by mandatory twice-yearly refresher training. This duration falls short of manufacturer Axon's own recommendations. Axon's training materials advise against using the device on individuals impaired by drugs or chronic substance abuse and caution that if a suspect is not immobilized by the first discharge, alternative tactics should be considered. The training framework leaves room for scenario-based practice and psychological evaluation of when not to deploy the weapon.
The Associazione Antigone, which monitors prison conditions and police conduct, has called for a national registry of taser activations, an independent scientific commission to evaluate health outcomes, and transparent rules of engagement. No such system currently exists. Milan's 12-month reporting requirement is a local innovation, not a legal standard.
Next Steps: De-Escalation Training and Long-Term Review
A separate resolution scheduled for debate in the coming weeks will mandate anti-discrimination and de-escalation training for all Milan municipal employees, not just police. The curriculum will emphasize interaction protocols with vulnerable populations, including those experiencing homelessness, addiction, or mental illness.
The first annual report is due by mid-2027. It must include usage statistics, medical outcomes tracked by ATS, demographic data on individuals subjected to taser threats or discharges, and an assessment of whether the technology reduced injuries to officers or suspects. If fatalities or serious injuries occur, the council retains the authority to suspend or revoke the ordinance.
For now, the Polizia Locale di Milano has added a controversial tool to its arsenal—one that European courts, human rights bodies, and medical researchers view with deep skepticism, even as Italian lawmakers and mayors argue it offers a middle ground between bare hands and firearms. The tension between those positions will play out in the streets and emergency rooms of Milan over the next year.
