Module 2 - Law Enforcement Equipment and Police Canines

- Image Source: Sergeant A. Kowalyk, Edmonton Police Service

The term "less-lethal" is often used to describe the Conducted Energy Device (CED) by police because no device meant to subdue an aggressive subject is completely safe. Other less-lethal devices used by police include pepper spray, tear gas, and batons.

Conducted Energy Devices are often used by police officers as alternatives to impact weapons or firearms. The availability of a CED is considered advantageous because it can be deployed quickly with great success, often leaving little or no sign of injuries on the subject. This is perhaps preferable to using an impact weapon such as a baton, which can break bones or cause soft tissue damage. A CED can also be used to neutralize an aggressive subject who may be armed with a knife or blunt object without immediately having to resort to the use of a firearm. Most incidents in which a CED is deployed were resolved peacefully without actually resorting to deliberate force. The mere presence of a CED often appears to be enough to gain the cooperation of most belligerent subjects.

Police officers are trained to use their CEDs in accordance with a very limited set of circumstances, typically when a suspect is actively resisting arrest or presents a threat to the officer through overly aggressive behaviour. Police policy on CED deployment varies by jurisdiction. Although the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police recommend that CED deployment occur when a subject is resisting arrest, some police agencies set their standard higher by specifying that other factors must be present, such as the presence of weapons or prior acts of violence.

When the CED is deployed at an incident and is pointed in the direction of a suspect, verbal direction is given in conjunction with its use. The police officer may say, “Stop resisting or you will be tasered.” This warning provides a violent or highly agitated subject with the opportunity to reconsider the consequences of his or her actions, and surrender to police without further incident.

A one-second contact with a CED will startle the attacker and cause some pain associated with electro-muscular disruption. This is commonly referred to as a pain compliance technique, involving the use of a CED while in “drive stun” mode. This method of deployment is particularly useful when a subject is under some control but is still uncooperative, such as when police officers are trying to apply handcuffs but cannot gain control of the subject’s hands.

This technique can also be used to incapacitate a person by disrupting both the sensory and motor nervous systems, causing temporary involuntary muscle incapacitation. This occurs through the firing of two separate probes that are connected to the CED by thin copper wire approximately 8 metres in length. An electrical charge in cycles of five seconds or longer travels through the wire and into the subject’s body. This causes a continuous contraction of muscles throughout the subject’s body and results in a loss of balance and muscle control as well as temporary cognitive disorientation. To date, no in-custody deaths have ever been attributed to the use of a CED.

An electrical current of more than 10 amperes is considered potentially lethal to humans. Modern CEDs limit the available current to well below this level. For example, cardiac defibrillators operate in the range of 1.5 to 4.0 amperes, but the taser model X26, that almost all police agencies utilize has an average output of 1.8 amperes. Because the current delivered by a CED is low, medical experts generally agree that a CED is not life threatening as long as the subject is not already suffering from a heart condition or what has come to be known as “excited delirium”, which is a heightened state of hyperactivity that can result from excessive drug use. Symptoms of this state include aggressive behaviour, paranoia, enhanced physical strength, and the inability to feel pain.

Although all police officers carry handguns, most police departments do not provide a CED to more than a select few of their officers. Because a single Taser Model X26 costs approximately CDN$2000, the costs involved in equipping and training a large number of officers with CEDs is quite high. It remains to be seen whether this will change in the future.

Patrol officers equipped with CEDs must undergo extensive training. They must first be recommended for training by their respective supervisors. Then, they participate in a one-day course, which consists of learning how to handle the weapon and understanding the mechanics of its basic function. Officers are then tested in various judgment scenarios followed by a written exam. After an officer has successfully completed the course, a coordinator ensures that all policies and procedures are being followed. Additional training is provided annually.