The North's Police Ombudsman has revealed that there are 40 times more complaints about police baton use in the North than in other parts of the UK.
However Nuala O'Loan's office has said that PSNI officers are six times more likely to be assaulted than their police colleagues in Britain.
The Ombudman said she accepted that officers in the North were under greater threat from attackers but she said this did not fully explain the much higher level of complaints about baton use.
Mrs O'Loan has recommended more resources be allocated to train officers in how and when to use their batons properly.
