NCJ Number
219186
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 34 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2007 Pages: 60,62,68
Date Published
May 2007
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the use of conductive energy devices (CEDs), such as TASERS and stun guns, and underscores the importance of sound department policy and training regarding their use.
Abstract
The author highlights the advantages and disadvantages to CED deployment throughout the article while maintaining that the key to their successful use lies in sound department policy and officer training. Described throughout the article as “lawful but awful,” CED devises have gained widespread notoriety through popular media depictions of their use, which often shock the public consciousness. CEDs are a less-than-lethal technology that delivers a high-voltage electrical charge that interacts with the body’s own electrical impulses, generally rendering a combatant incapacitated. Due to the risk of injury and the force of the electrical volt delivered to a suspect, the article highlights the careful use of policy and training regarding their deployment. Stories peppered throughout the article describe scenarios in which other forms of less-than-lethal technology failed to subdue a suspect. In those situations, CED devices were able to subdue the suspects so that lethal force did not become necessary. Departments have also experienced decreases in officer injuries since the deployment of CEDs. One of the main reasons for this decrease is that CEDs can be deployed from a safe distance from the suspect, lowering the chance that officers will have to physically approach and fight with a suspect. The article contains a textbox that outlines nine steps to effective CED deployment. Exhibits