Essay On Use Of Force

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Definition of Use of Force
In the line of police work there is great discretion that is given. With discretion there is great power, and within that power is the ability to take someone’s life. Police officers are allowed to take one’s life if there is danger to one’s self, the surrounding community and depending on the severity of the situation at hand. All three of three circumstances are continually being calculated by the police officer. Police are trained to deal with use of force and deadly force through a one-plus-one method. The method tells the officers that in all situations that their intensity has to be one step or notch ahead of suspect. The intensity can be through vocal presence or keeping a higher degree of physicality. This can all be presented through what is called the force continuum.
Use of Force and the Force Continuum
When police are dealing with hostile individuals they need to show strength and poise while confronting the suspect. To help guide the officer in a hostile situation, he or she is trained to use the force continuum. The continuum guides officers in their response to difficult people, it hold them to an ethical standard. Not only does the continuum help officers gauge where they are supposed to be in escalation, but also in de-escalation of suspect. As an officer de-escalates the intensity of the suspect the officer also has to de-escalate his or her intensity, but meanwhile keeping that one-plus-plus one advantage over the suspect. The main variable used to determine where the officer should be on the continuum is resistance versus control. Control always needs to be above resistance or the officer is putting him or herself in bodily danger. This is all taught in police academie...

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...more volunteering and various agencies implementing community policing. For the more tech savvy agencies, public relations have been uploading videos and stories of police men and women doing admirable and heroic acts for the community on social media cites. Police agencies across the nation are looking into more less-lethal weapons alternatives to being used in hostile situations.
Future of Use of Force and Less-Lethal Weapons
With increasing public outcry of police’s authority to use deadly force, more and more agencies are researching and obtaining new less-lethal weapons to take care of hostile suspects. Weapons that would be commonly characterized as less-lethal would be pepper spray and conductive electronic device (CED) or taser. Agencies that are utilizing more less-lethal weapons are seeing decline in both suspect and officer incident related injuries.

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