Does The Presence Of A TASER Or Other CEW Affect Officers Willingness To Use Force

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Presence of Taser and the Use of Force

Introduction

The use of lethal force by the police force against the suspects, as well as the general citizens in the critical situations, has always been a very important issue, which raised concerns regarding the safety of the general public. It also raised questions regarding the status of the police force who are actually meant to provide safety and security to the citizens of any society. In the modern times, the lethal weapons of the police force have been exchanged with the less lethal TASER or CEW, which can help the police officers to control the suspects or criminals in the difficult situation, without hurting them physically or mentally. On the other hand, the excessive use of TASER by the police force has raised the concern that the police officers are more likely to use the force in the form of TASER, even in the case when the use of force is not required. The presence of TASER or other CEW may affect the willingness of the officers to use force.

Literature Review

Fatal and Nonfatal Incidents Involving the TASER

White and Ready conducted a research study in the year 2009, in order to examine the case of fatal, as well as nonfatal incidents which involved the use of TASER. The researchers described in their article that TASER is a less lethal weapon which can be used by the police force to control the suspects or criminals, in any given situation. The shot of TASER consists of a few volts of current, which can hinder the resistance or attack of the suspects, providing a chance to the police officers to catch the suspects. Its use is effective due to the reason it does not cause physical injury to the person on which it is shot. On the other hand, the researchers also shared the details that using the TASER multiple times can lead to the death of the person as well. Moreover, factors like the use of illicit drugs, as well as the mental and emotional condition of the person can also increase the chances of their physical or mental health injury after being attacked with TASER (White, and Ready, 885). So, it cannot be said that TASER does not cause any physical injuries and should only be used in case of emergency, with proper care.

Effect of Policy Changes on Police Use of TASER

The research conducted by Bishopp et al. highlighted the fact that police use of force has always been a cause of concern for the general society. This motivated the justice department to introduce more strict policies, which hindered the ability of the police officers to use the force openly. They had to provide the justification of the use of force and also received punishments, in case the use of force was not justifiable. The invention and excessive use of TASER changed the scenario for quite some time as it was considered non-lethal. However, the justice system has introduced strict policies for the use of TASER as well (Bishopp et al., 735). The researchers have explained that the fear of the strict policies motivates the police officers to limit the use of TASER and avoid any kind of disciplinary action.

Application and Use of TASER

The research conducted by DeLone and Thompson highlighted the application as well as the use of TASER by the Midwestern police force. The article highlighted that the police force used TASER against the white male suspects and it was quite effective. The use of force did not cause any kind of injury to the suspects as well as to the officers of the police force. The researchers also mentioned in their article that due to the limited number of cases, they were not able to find the connection between the injury and the use of force (DeLone, and Thompson, 421).

Impact of Tasers on Police Use-of-Force Decisions

Research conducted by Sousa, Ready, and Ault examined the two groups of the police force in the controlled situation. One group was provided with TASER, while the other group was not provided with it. The purpose of the research study was to examine the decision making of the officers when faced by resisting suspects. The results of the research study highlighted that the officers carrying TASER were more likely to use it, instead of other non-lethal force like the batons, etc. (Sousa, Ready, and Ault, 47).

Effects of the TASER on Cognitive Functioning

The research conducted by White et al. highlighted the fact that there has not been enough research in the field to observe the impact of TASER on the cognitive functioning of the person being attacked. The research also highlighted the fact that cognitive functioning of almost twenty officers was checked before using TASER on them. Their cognitive functioning was then again checked after the attack, as well as after twenty-four hours. The results highlighted that the cognitive functioning of the person gets disturbed for twenty-four hours, after being attacked, which raises a question on the use of the TASER (White et al., 276).

Changes in TASER Use Policy Affect Police Officer Injury Rates

Womack, Morris, and Bishopp highlighted in their research study that the purpose of introducing TASER was to control the injuries as well as unfortunate incidents of excessive use of force towards the suspects. With the passage of time, the justice department made the policies stricter regarding the use of TASER, as they came to know its harmful effects. The research also highlighted the fact that the strict policies also helped the police officers to avoid injuries related to TASER (Womack, Morris, and Bishopp, 428).

TASER has emerged as a non-lethal mean of force; however, it is also not perfectly to use. The excessive or multiple uses of TASER can disturb the heart functioning of the individual, resulting in death. Moreover, it also has a tendency to impact the cognitive functioning of the individual, even if it is used once. The strict policies of the justice department keep a check on the activities of the police force while motivating them to not cause any kind of harm to the innocent citizens or the suspects.

Works Cited

Bishopp, Stephen A., David A. Klinger, and Robert G. Morris. "An examination of the effect of a policy change on police use of TASERs." Criminal Justice Policy Review 26.7 (2015): 727-746.

DeLone, Gregory J., and Liddie M. Thompson. "The application and use of TASERs by a Midwestern police agency." International Journal of Police Science & Management 11.4 (2009): 414-428.

Sousa, William, Justin Ready, and Michael Ault. "The impact of TASERs on police use-of-force decisions: Findings from a randomized field-training experiment." Journal of Experimental Criminology 6.1 (2010): 35-55.

White, Michael D., and Justin Ready. "Examining fatal and nonfatal incidents involving the TASER: Identifying predictors of suspect death reported in the media." Criminology & Public Policy 8.4 (2009): 865-891.

White, Michael D., et al. "Examining the effects of the TASER on cognitive functioning: findings from a pilot study with police recruits." Journal of Experimental Criminology 10.3 (2014): 267-290.

Womack, Valerie G., Robert G. Morris, and Stephen A. Bishopp. "Do Changes in TASER Use Policy Affect Police Officer Injury Rates?." Police quarterly 19.4 (2016): 410-434.