...Chapter 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND The terms less-than-lethal, less lethal, and non-lethal are frequently and inappropriately used interchangeably. Almost anything can become lethal if used improperly or if circumstances are extremely unlucky; weapons that are considered to be of Non-Lethal force only decrease the odds of deadly injury. The court addresses the use of less lethal force in the “objective reasonableness standard,” where questions regarding excessive use of force are to be judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer coping with a tense, fast-evolving situation. (Graham, Conner, 2009) This revised standard alleviates some of the “Monday morning quarterbacking” that would otherwise result and respects that officers possess sound judgment skills. (Graham, Conner, 2009) In some arrest situations and other law enforcement activities, the use of force may be required to protect the safety of the officer or the public. Occasionally, the threat to an officer or the public justifies the use of deadly force an amount of force that is likely to cause either serious bodily injury or death to another person. (Graham, Conner, 2009) When use of force is required, but deadly force may not be appropriate, law enforcement officers may employ less-lethal weapons to gain control of a subject. Less-lethal weapons are designed to induce a subject to submit or to comply with directions. These weapons give law enforcement officers the ability to protect the safety of...
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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...
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...Critical issues Mary E Rios CJS210 July 1, 2012 Amanda Dean Critical issues Criminals today are using technology to their advantage when committing crimes; therefore law enforcement must also use technology when taking down the criminal. Technology can be used to prevent crimes as well as to solve crimes after they have happened. Law enforcement today is focusing more on the less then lethal weapons whenever possible. Police officers are faced with many dangers in their daily jobs. Police officers are constantly faced with the unknown and the unpredictable. A routine call could turn out to be deadly or contamination of infectious disease. The Internet has changed how police officers can complete their daily jobs; the Internet has opened doors to so many technological advancements and if all departments are updating their processes and up with technology their jobs could be much more adequate and less room for error or delays. Major technological advancements include database technology, computer aid dispatch, record keeping, and mobile computing. What was once known as the card file index is now known as databases or COMPSTAT, these databases hold criminal information, management information, reports that can be used for statistics or analytical information, trends in crimes, and also can be used for staffing based on geographic crime history. All of this information is at the fingertips of an officers or management personnel to quickly make a decision when...
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...The police force around the world use more nonlethal weapons than lethal ones. There’s many ways and reasons police force use nonlethal weapons to subdue criminals. It’s interesting to know what are these nonlethal weapons and how they are used. Since world war two nonlethal weapons have been used to stop and control inhuman people. And many of these weapons include.The Taser is an electroshock weapon developed in the 1970s. Using compressed nitrogen charges, it fires two hook-like electrodes that send an electrical current into a person, causing involuntary muscle spasms. The weapon can also be used without propelling electrodes, producing instead an electrical arc that can be thrust into a person. Tasers are designed to be used instead of firearms, greatly reducing deaths in the process . Another well used nonlethal weapon is the projectile which can be shot from any type of weapon. The primary purpose of a projectile...
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...: * * Student Week 5 Individual Assignment CJA/214, University of Phoenix There has been ten years of research explaining that policing is one of the most stressful jobs you can do. Policing takes a toll not only on the body but also on the mind. Police officers suffer from high blood pressure, insomnia, depression and suicide. These are the hidden dangers among policing that aren’t always recognized. According to Reason Magazine, “police officers are about three times as likely to be killed on the job as the average American. It isn't among the top ten most dangerous professions, falling well behind logging, fishing, driving a cab, trash collecting, farming, and truck driving. Moreover, about half of police killed on the job are killed in traffic accidents, and most of those are not while in pursuit of a criminal or rushing to the scene of a crime”(Reason Magazine, 2011). Officers are exposed to multiple types of dangers on a daily basis. They put their lives at risk everyday with having to make arrests, being shot at in some more complicated situations, and also having the wear at least twenty pounds of gear which puts a toll on the body physically. Officers have to get out of their patrol cars multiple times a day with the heavy gear on which can cause extreme stress. Officers need to be aware of their environment at all times, and need to prepare themselves for the worst at all-time which can potentially end in a very dangerous life threatening situation...
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...Police Operations Name Police Operations Law enforcement agencies throughout the country are active in numerous activities and operations. Law enforcement at all three levels varies in labels, operations, authority, and jurisdiction. It’s interesting to consider that the different levels of law enforcement don’t necessarily cooperate with each other. Considering that all the levels of law enforcement have the same overall goal and face the same crimes, weapons, and technology advances, then it’s understandable that they actually should cooperate with each other. The Dangers of policing Danger is something that all police officers must face at some point in their career. In particular, the greatest danger for police officers is physical harm. At any given time, a police officer is at risk to be attacked or assaulted from a criminal. Then, there are the added dangers when officers lack sufficient backup. However, officers are trained to measure situations so they he/she does not go into a situation without the sufficient support or knowledge. Regardless, there still exist those situations in which an ordinary police procedure can escalate quickly. For example, a traffic cop can stop somebody for a traffic violation then have to face a violent or threatening individual when trying to issue a ticket. Furthermore, there are dangers at a lower scale than physical harm. There are dangers related to stress and issues in the personal lives of...
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...Version 3Introduction to Police Theory and Abstract There are several critical issues in policing. The main critical issues of policing are: use of deadly force, police deviance, police prejudice and discrimination, violence, substance abuse, and police brutality as well as other police misconduct. Not only do law enforcement agencies have to deal with critical issues within their agencies, they also have to deal with critical issues that pertain to the public. Keywords: deadly force, police deviance, police prejudice and discrimination, violence, substance abuse, and police brutality Critical Issues in Policing Officers put their lives at risk every day. When they put on their uniforms and go out into the field they are faced with danger and they have to be prepared to handle the situations they come face to face with. “When you are in a position to protect the people and the community your job generally will come with a large amount of risks” (www.termpaperhouse.com). Dangers There are many dangers associated with policing. The policing agencies deal with several different people on a daily basis, some of which cause a lot of problems for them. The main dangers that police officers face is getting shot. Police officers are exposed to the danger of getting shot while they are patrolling, making traffic stops, making arrests, during vehicle pursuits, and while responding to calls. Another danger that police are exposed to is extreme temperatures. “Police are exposed to extreme...
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...All Police Officers Should Carry Tasers | Why All Police Officers Should Carry Tasers In this day and age self-protection is always a key concern for many people. The fear of crime and even the people who commit crime, there is always a chance that you could get robbed, caught up in physical altercation, or even happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. People in general approach these situations differently and prepare for these situations in different ways. Smart people normally avoid putting themselves in situations like these by just avoiding “problem areas” thus eliminating as much trouble as they possibly can. However, police officers put their lives on the line daily, putting themselves on the front lines against crime willingly putting themselves in the middle of these “problem areas”. Police officers are certified and carry many different kinds of personal protective equipment, and the military also happens to use a lot of the same equipment as well much of which I have personal experience. Most commonly is firearms, batons, and pepper spray but there is also the Taser. A problem for law enforcement was that police needed an actual method to enforce the law when criminals were hazardous or non-compliant. Officers are always responding to 911 calls and such, it forces them to make quick decisions and use their training and tools issued to them. In most cases, officers strive to resolve incidents quickly with no injuries. Non-lethal weapons make...
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...Police Operations David Thompson CJA/214 January 12, 2012 Jon Holman Police Operations The plight of the police officer’s of today are ever changing, as the criminal element, adapts to the changes around them to circumvent the system, officers must make necessary changes in everything the force does just to keep up with the criminal elements seeking to take down and destroy every law abiding citizen they come across. These changes begin in the community and carry on throughout the field of operations, to include areas of computer crimes, and technology departments especially developed for use by agencies like the police department to outfit the new age officer who is without a doubt pitted against one of the most dangerous predators ever know to mankind, the un-know, un-examined and oftentimes miss-understood minds of man himself. Officers today are the face of an agency that defines what it means to feel safe, protected, and for the most part reasonable calm, living in the United States of America. To be in Law Enforcement is to be in one of the most stressful and demanding occupation available. The fight against crime is one that will always need to be waged and must be won. The danger of wagging war on crime is however, costly; but one that must be paid. The primary goal of the police departments across our great country is to stay ahead of crime and the criminal. Dangers associated with becoming a Law Enforcement officer are grave, each and every...
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...Policing in the Future: Use of Force The role of being a police officer is one of the most stressful and challenging tasks one can be charged with. An officer is expected to assess any given situation and is always supposed to make the right decision when dealing with that situation. This can be very difficult to deal with when a situation is becoming very intense and almost out of hand. An officer must gain control of the situation, restore order, and ensure safety for themselves and for civilians. However, ensuring the safety for an individual is difficult when an officer has to use force on the individual. The use of force is a very sensitive topic because officers are authorized to use force if they deem it necessary and that can go to lethal force. The majority of the public does not always agree with the use of force and excessive force is always looked at if any force is used. An officer is supposed to use force, but not too much force. Policing is a thankless job and one that brings a great deal of responsibility and risk. The officers must deal with having to use force and the management and superiors within a department are supposed to ensure proper training and review of any use of force. Ultimately the police must respect individual rights, and protect the community, even if that means using force. The use of force has and will always draw critical reviews from society when it comes to policing. Police officers have a right, even an obligation in some instances...
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...Critical Issues Paper Jonathon James CJS/210 August 11, 2012 Kimberly Gonzales Critical Issues Paper The job of a police officer can be a very dangerous and demanding job at times, but having new advances in technology can help make the job a little easier and safer for officers on duty. Some types of technology that law enforcement agencies use today are facial recognition software, fingerprint identification systems, global positioning systems, closed-circuit television, and cross. Facial recognition software is a database of criminal mug shots that is used throughout all police agencies to positively identify a criminal. Having this technology makes positively identifying a criminal faster and more reliable. The fingerprint identification system is very similar to facial recognition software but instead of faces, it uses fingerprints to identify criminals when they are brought in to police custody. Global positioning systems or (GPS) for short is a satellite-based technology that is used by law enforcement agencies to track the movement of patrol or specially equipped stolen vehicles like for example, bait cars. GPS can also be used to track criminals that have been released from incarceration and placed on house arrest. Before they are released from incarceration these criminals are fitted for some sort of tracking device, that is usually placed on the ankle of the individual, to make sure that they do not leave their homes without a good cause; such as a job, grocery...
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...Use of Excessive Force by Police Use of Excessive Force by Police Police officers are given a significant amount of discretion simply due to the nature of the job. Officers are faced with many threatening situations forcing them to react quickly, yet appropriately. They have the power to infringe upon any citizen’s rights to freedom and therefore they must use this power effectively. One major concern with the amount of discretion officers have is their power to decide when to use force or when to use lethal force. Manning (1997) argues that it is generally accepted that police should be allowed to use force. He also explains that there are an uncertain amount people who agree on as to what constitutes excessive force. The line between what is necessary and what is extreme is very thin and hard to see. Use of force is no doubt one of the most important aspects in policing; however, force should also be used with great discretion. The community policing style is defined by David Allender (2004) as a philosophy of full-service, personalized policing where the same officer patrols and works in the same are on a permanent basis, from a decentralized place, working in a proactive partnership with citizens to identify and solve problems. The most important factors to community policing include personalization, partnership and problem solving (Allender, 2004). The idea is to create a relationship with citizens that are both trustworthy and honest. When officers begin to use force...
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...of your temper results to disintegrating a situation. This paper provides two examples of police-involved shootings where better judgment could have applied. I will express my opinion on what I think should been to develop proper demeanor of law enforcement officers. Lastly, this paper pinpoints training deficiencies and will provide feedback of the area of training needed to satisfy the deficiency. Law Enforcement Guidelines We, as ordinary people, oftentimes find ourselves in situations where people push our buttons, or they try to see just how far they can push us before we totally loose our composure. Our temper is an additive tool that is essential in helping if a situation is diluted or if a situation is escalated. Today, there is much scrutiny of excessive force, corruption and brutality within our local police departments and among law officials. According to Sir Robert Peel’s first principle, the main goal and accomplishment for the police is to hinder disorder and criminal offenses (New Westminster Police Department, 2013). It is of the police ethics and duty of not wavering by one’s threats or any type of language, especially offensive. The advantage of displaying such ethical behavior is in the event that the police needs any help the by-standers and/or witnesses will be more willing to assist the officer (Ethics, n.d., para. 3). There are too many police-involved shootings and in many cases, the victims or suspects are unarmed. For instance, a...
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...Prevent Chaos: Why Police Brutality Is a Problem On September 18, 2015, a 16 year old boy was beaten multiple times with a baton after allegedly jaywalking. Eight additional cops were called to the scene when they arrested the black teenager. According to Sunil Dutta, the police used necessary force, and the teenager could have prevented the entire situation. However, experts would agree that police brutality is caused by numerous underlying problems, including inadequately trained officers, racial tension between police and society, and the false intention that media blows situations out of proportion. While Sunil Dutta believes officers receive training at a higher caliber compared to past decades, experts in the field profoundly disagree (2). Initially, training begins in the academy where officers are shown gruesome pictures and footages of police being beaten. Seeing the graphic images persuades officers to do everything in their nature to avoid being injured. Additionally, lethal weapons are right beneath their arms, and one poor decision could lead to multiple deaths. Seth Stoughton stated, “Instead of rushing in...
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...Rachael Bambery, Nathan Ballard, Anthony Bellero, David Prothero, Willie Marsh, Mike Schroeder, Mike Taylor, Greg Maultsby, Donnie Gilley and Dave Kier Police Executive Research Forum 1120 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Suite 930 Washington, D.C. 20036 Jan 16, 2009 Report Outline Section Executive Summary Chapter 1: Overview / Introduction Chapter 2: Technology and Law Enforcement: An Overview of Applications, Impacts, and Needs Chapter 3: The PERF Technology Needs Assessment Survey Chapter 4: The PERF-Lockheed Martin Law Enforcement Future Technologies Workshop Chapter 5: Conclusions and Next Steps Pages 3-9 10-11 12-32 33-47 48-64 65-73 Appendix A: References Appendix B: The PERF Technology Needs Assessment Survey Appendix C: Survey Technology Term Definitions Appendix D: Responding Agencies (PERF Survey) Appendix E: Supplementary Survey Tables Appendix F: List of Workshop Attendees 74-79 80-91 92-98 99-102 103-124 125-127 2 Technology and Law Enforcement: Future Technologies to Address the Operational Needs of Law Enforcement EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background The effects of technology can be seen in almost all aspects of modern life, and law enforcement is no exception. The field of law enforcement has been altered by technology in many important ways. One need only consider that the primary police strategy of the latter part of the 20th Century—motorized preventive patrol and rapid response to calls for service—was developed in response to the invention...
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