In today’s society a lot of shade has been cast upon the men and women who protect our country in the law enforcement field. It is important to understand what is and is not legal in regards to police use of force when detaining suspects as this is often one of the most controversial aspects of criminal justice. The debate will continue to be long standing on whether or not police use of force is actually justified.
There is no single, universally agreed-upon definition of use of force. (International Association of the Chiefs of Police, Police Use of Force in America, 2001 (pdf, 88 pages), Alexandria, Virginia, 2001.) Officers are trained to act quickly and effectively in all situations they are presented with. The Continuum of Force always needs to be taken into consideration when force is used and requires officers to use appropriate force depending on their circumstances. The force used must match the threat and resistance encountered. The first level of …show more content…
There has been consistent debate on whether the use of these tactics benefits officers or suspects during confrontation.
CEDs such as Tasers produce 50,000 volts of electricity. The electricity stuns and temporarily disables people by causing involuntary muscle contractions. This makes people easier to arrest or subdue. A study by Wake Forest University researchers found that 99.7 percent of people who were shocked by CEDs suffered no injuries or minor injuries only. This NIJ-sponsored study included six police departments and evaluated the results of 962 “real world” CED uses. (" Police Use of Force, Tasers and Other Less-Lethal Weapons ")
When use of force is properly used it can have not only a positive outcome for officers, but suspects as well. There have been numerous studies as to what techniques increase or decrease the risk to those
There is no single, universally agreed-upon definition of use of force. (International Association of the Chiefs of Police, Police Use of Force in America, 2001 (pdf, 88 pages), Alexandria, Virginia, 2001.) Officers are trained to act quickly and effectively in all situations they are presented with. The Continuum of Force always needs to be taken into consideration when force is used and requires officers to use appropriate force depending on their circumstances. The force used must match the threat and resistance encountered. The first level of …show more content…
There has been consistent debate on whether the use of these tactics benefits officers or suspects during confrontation.
CEDs such as Tasers produce 50,000 volts of electricity. The electricity stuns and temporarily disables people by causing involuntary muscle contractions. This makes people easier to arrest or subdue. A study by Wake Forest University researchers found that 99.7 percent of people who were shocked by CEDs suffered no injuries or minor injuries only. This NIJ-sponsored study included six police departments and evaluated the results of 962 “real world” CED uses. (" Police Use of Force, Tasers and Other Less-Lethal Weapons ")
When use of force is properly used it can have not only a positive outcome for officers, but suspects as well. There have been numerous studies as to what techniques increase or decrease the risk to those