… then apparently you use tools more. That seems to be the case with non-lethal weapons in police arsenals. When the only escalation point is either up-close-and-personal baton beatings, or using a gun, most cops tend to look for alternatives, like, well, talking.
But when there's a "non-lethal" alternative — tasers, pepper spray (or even pain points and choke holds) — then escalation to that point is much easier and quicker … especially when the alternatives are advertised as safe, easy, effective ways to deal with problem individuals.
Thus, the lethality of any given violent incident between police and suspects goes down … but the number of such incidents goes up, because, well, it's safe. And easy.
I dunno. I think there's value, even need for such alternative tools, but that they are so easily over-used is a significant problem. Which boils down to the much thornier problems of training and police culture, which are not things that are easily or quickly dealt with. #ddtb
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» Why do Police Officers Use Pepper Spray?
When pepper spray became a mainstream law enforcement tool in the 1990s, it was hailed as a relatively peaceful alternative to harsh physical
My boss is ex-military police, and a huge fan of Verbal Judo. He says “Get ’em!” is a weakness of police psychology.
Female police officers are more likely to use psychology or discussion to de-fuse/diffuse a situation.
@Marina – That wouldn’t surprise me, as a generalization. I’d be interested to see how much increased inclusion of women in police forces changes the forces vs changing the women.