A team of expert contributors provides an in-depth exploration of police use of force, firearms, and less-than-lethal weapons from a dozen countries across five continents. Police Use of Force: A Global Perspective is a fascinating, international exploration of police use of force, firearms, and less-than-lethal weapons in nations around the world. The book is comprised of three sections: the first focuses on the use of force generally, the second explores firearms and deadly force, and the final section considers less-than-lethal weapons, including pepper spray, TASERs, and other emerging technologies currently on the horizon. The essays gathered here will provide readers with an understanding of the vast differences in how police use force in various countries, as well as why police use force differently under different forms of government. Topics covered include use-of-force definitions, training procedures, policy issues, abuse of police authority, use of force during interrogations, and the use of firearms by armed and unarmed police forces. Finally, there is an essay focusing on how shooting and killing a suspect impacts an officer in the months and years that follow.

Building on five years of research, and drawing on criminology, science and technology studies (STS), socio-legal studies and social psychology, this book is the first non-medical book written on electric-shock weapons, of which the best well known is the TASER brand. The police’s ability to use force is one of their most crucial powers, yet one that has been relatively neglected by criminology. This book challenges some of the myths surrounding the use of these weapons and considers their human rights implications and impact on members of the public and officers alike. Drawing on STS, it also considers the role and impact of electric-shock technologies, examines the extent to which technologies and non-human agency may also play a role in shaping officer decision making and discretion, and contributes to long standing debates about police accountability. This is essential reading for policing scholars around the world, particularly those engaged with use of force, culture and accountability, as well as those engaged with Science and Technology studies.

This book discusses how and why police resort to non-lethal force. Chapter 1 is an introduction that focuses on areas of concern regarding police force. Chapter 2 deals with how often officers resort to force; an examination of the various types of force used by the police; how force is applied within given encounters is discussed; and the chapter examines what factors influence police decisions to apply various types of force. The sociological, psychological, and organizational perspectives are analyzed regarding why officers use force. The study detailed in this book provides for the creation of a sequencing pattern that measures the nature and extent of citizen resistance and corresponding officer use of force. It also provides an opportunity to learn more about what prompts officers to use less rather than more force. A literature review on police use of force is also provided. The operating perspective, theoretical framework, research questions, and hypotheses of this study are presented in chapter 3. Chapter 4 focuses on the design and method of the study. Chapter 5 examines the first three research questions and considers the extent, nature, and application of force, as well as citizen resistance, within individual police-citizen encounters. Chapter 6 investigates the causes of police force in relation to the highest level of force used. Chapter 7 examines the application of the force continuum regarding citizen resistance. The conclusions and implications of this study are presented in the final chapter.

This study looked at injuries that occur to law enforce ment officers and citizens during useofforce events. Most applications of force are minimal, with officers using their hands, arms or bodies to push or pull against a suspect to gain control. Officers are also trained to use various other force techniques and weapons to overcome resistance. These include lesslethal weapons such as pepper spray, batons or conducted energy devices (CEDs) such as Tasers. They can also use firearms to defend themselves or others against threats of death or serious bodily injuries.

Articles in this volume discuss efforts by the police to reduce violence in society and the problem of the use of violence by and against the police. The introductory article notes that when police attempt to stop violence, they must often be violent themselves. One paper demonstrates the personal and institutional consequences of the moral dilemmas involved in police work; when police use 'dirty' means to achieve good ends they may lose their sense of moral proportion. Empirical evidence of violence against police is presented. For example, the first systematic analysis of the circumstances surrounding police killings is discussed, and the myth that many officers are killed in family fights is deflated. The practice of arming off-duty police officers is criticized by another contributor as harmful to both police officers and citizens. Ways in which police behavior might be changed to reduce injuries to citizens are suggested in two papers which show how prior decisions can constrain the options an officer has by the time a confrontation develops. Also discussed are police shootings at minorities in Los Angeles. Many contributors point to the need for more research, especially concerning violence against the police. Scarcity of basic data accounts for lack of practical solutions to the problems of violence and police. Footnotes, case studies, and statistical data are included.

Starting with a historical introduction, Police Use of Force presents readers with critical and timely issues facing police and the communities they serve when police encounters turn violent.

A comprehensive collection on police and policing, written by experts in political theory, sociology, criminology, economics, law, public health, and critical theory.

Conductive Electronic Weapons and their faults is a book based on a Human Factors research project on the problems of using stun guns on commercial aircraft. The Robert Dziekanski incident happened at the Vancouver International Airport, and those findings were integrated into the research project. The author submitted all the results to the Braidwood Inquiry. The testimonies and other information revealed during the inquiry required multiple updates for unanswered questions and accusations to be addressed. The Braidwood Inquiry is not the only legal entity to find that the stun gun can cause death, it is the first where Taser International has not been able to change the final decision with legal action. The book centers around the authors submitted information to the inquiry, and has reached a new detailed hypothesis on how stun guns can cause death within seconds to days after a discharge. It also explains how the guns basic design can become faulty and output repeated arc phase levels of power.

"The End Of Killing is a book that asks a bold question: could we end killing as a human endeavor? In other words, could we eliminate killing using technology? Rick Smith's answer--born of a life dedicated to making the bullet obsolete--is yes. He argues that while humanity has accepted that killing is an unavoidable fact of life, it doesn't need to be. In this provocative book, Smith demonstrates that, because of advancements in technology, we are on the cusp of a world where killing is no longer required--nor acceptable. But getting there will require bold approaches that challenge conventional thinking. Showcasing the latest technologies in weapons, surveillance, artificial intelligence, and even bioinformatics, the book dives into the big, thorny questions about how technology is changing personal safety, police work, our justice system, and our national security. With clarity and conviction, Smith challenges conventional wisdom, showing how technologies that appear strange and scary can actually better human life dramatically. In a world of dead-end debates about gun violence and police brutality, he offers us a clear roadmap out of the violent present into a brighter future. Thought-provoking, insightful, and controversial, The End of Killing will make people stop and think about the world they inhabit--and about the future to come."--