Why Do Police Use Excessive Force?

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The issues surrounding police use of force and Tasers is slammed by the media. Often police are traded for excessive force and draw Tasers more than need. Queensland police have a dangerous job, and therefore, they do not use excessive force, nor do they draw Tasers more often than need. Queensland police have the right to do their job, of protecting and serving the community, even if that means using force or Tasering on an offender.

The Crime and Misconduct Commission, now known as Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, released these statists; 51.0 on average Tasers were used per month. 8.4 have been prolonged discharge while 27.1 multiple discharges (22 July 2010-30 June 2012). Queensland Polices' entered Tasers training in 2009; 5200 officers obtained Taser training. (Queensland, 2016). Police are obligated to follow the laws that govern their responsibilities. These laws are the Police Powers and Responsibilities Act (QLD) 2000 and Operational Procedures Manual S 14.23. Queensland police abide by these laws which are conditions (laws) to their job, by abiding these laws it shows police follow the correct procedure. "Taser has two main capabilities, probe mode and drive stun mode" (Operational Procedures Manual, 2016).
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Probe mode is adapted to an air cartridge. Which uses propelled probes together with wires, to pass a brief duration high voltage electrical pulses, throughout the body that attacks the sensory, and motor Performance of the nervous system. Drive Stun Mode is when a person comes into direct contact of the Taser, in company with or free from an air cartridge fitted, via the body or clothing of a person and causes significant pain in the area where the Taser was deployed. This mode can also be used conjunction with probe mode this utilizes the accomplish an incapacitation circuit (Operational Procedures Manual, 2016). The ACCC realized statistics in 2011 Queensland police were using their Tasers 30 times a month. Tasers use on the rise, from 22nd September 2009-21st July 2010 the average Taser use was 34.8%. On June 10 until June 12 that raised to 51.0%, this is a difference of 16.2% (Appendix 1). Could this be because of an increase in crime? “Reported crimes for Australia have risen by almost two-thirds, from 845,923 in 1980-81 to 1.41 million in 1988-89" (Walker and Henderson, 2016). This suggests with the increases in technology crime will go up as technology advantages. As technology advantages so will the way police deal with offenders, the public may not accept the way police deal with offenders, but if the offender did not put himself or herself in that situation, they would not be receiving the consequences. What can the police do without Tasers do? If police lives are in danger the last option is their gun. If the police did not have Tasers, gun use would increase. Alterably police can use Oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray, however, the police officer has to be a short distance away from the offender. A report conducted in 2004 by the ACCC only 67% used OC spray, with only 5% of youth being sprayed. 78% out of 100 were giving a warning before OC sprayed was deployed (ACCC,2002). This shows Queensland police are performing their jobs correctly and are not abusing their powers. “Sheila Oakley,

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