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Less-Lethal Weapons Essay

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Less-lethal weapons, particularly electronic stun devices such as Taser, are marketed to offer unmitigated benefits for police and public safety. This claim is almost valid, yet with flaws. While those weapons are introduced to offer a safer alternative in comparison to firearms, their main intention is to incapacitate without causing permanent harm or death to the person (Heal, 1999), unlike firearms. Taser (2015) claimed that the purpose of their products are “to save lives”, “help keep officers and subjects safe”. They listed a study from Houston Police Department, who shows that their products reduced suspect injuries by 60% when their smart weapons were deployed. Although the less-lethal weapons are the ideal force below firearms, hence …show more content…
Widely adopted for police, the uses of non-lethal, a term that was slowly no longer being used, or less-lethal side arms roses quickly since 1980s, and has since been employed by police forces worldwide with its significant result comparing to firearms in lowering injuries and death. Electroshock weapon is one of the most popular incapacitate weapon that are being adopted by police forces around the world. This weapon come in different forms. Stun gun, with a size around a television remote control, would deliver electric shock to the subject which is touched by the weapon directly when used. The most used form would be the conductive energy devices, such as Taser, which are capable of firing projectiles that deliver the shock with a thin flexible wire. Taser X26 is one of the most popular model adopted by law enforcement agencies, including Australia, with Australian Federal Police, New South Wales Police Force and such. Some studies suggested that the use of deadly force, number of officers injuries have been reduced since the use of Taser (Hopkins & Beary, 2003). Upon squeezing the trigger, two dart-like electrodes, connected with wires, would be fired from the Taser itself. The weapon

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