Taser guns have been rolled out to general duties police officers across New South Wales.

The State Government yesterday distributed 229 of the weapons and is planning to give two to each local area command.

Only the riot squad and the tactical response units previously had Tasers, which have been used about 50 times in the state since they were introduced almost five years ago.

The weapons have been fitted with video cameras to record their use.

Police Minister Tony Kelly says senior officers are being trained to use the weapons as part of the first stage of the roll-out.

"They'll be used by specially trained officers. They'll be used by the sergeant, the supervising sergeant and the duty officer," he said.

"We've trained over 400 police and we'll train another 1,000 police over the next few months to use these guns."

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione says Taser use will increase as a result of the roll-out but believes lives will ultimately be saved.

"The use of Tasers in any situation in NSW is primarily to give police a less-than-lethal option to subdue violent offenders," he said.

"It's just all about saving lives, particularly those violent drug addicts, those that might be mentally unstable. It simply gives us another option, rather than just a gun."

The State Government announced in May that it would spend more than $1 million on 229 Tasers for general duties police.

It said 2,000 supervisors would be trained to operate the weapons.

A report by the NSW Ombudsman into the safety of Tasers is expected to be tabled before State Parliament later this month.