Examining the Effectiveness of TASERS® at Gaining Citizen Compliance

Since their emergence within the field of policing, the use of conducted energy devices (CEDs) has produced a great deal of debate. However, few empirically rigorous studies have shed light on the extent to which CEDs (e.g., TASERs) are actually successful at gaining citizen compliance. As such, we examine 918 TASER cases collected from three police agencies to assess effectiveness in relation to citizen compliance. Findings demonstrate that officers generally classify the TASER as effective, but the level of effectiveness varies depending on whether it was used in probe or drive-stun mode. Multivariate regression models also identify a number of significant variables related to TASER effectiveness, including citizen (e.g., height, weight, gender, impairment) and officer (e.g., gender) characteristics. We discuss the findings in relation to those found in prior studies, as well as implications for research, policy, and practice.

Tasers and Community Controversy: Investigating Training Officer Perceptions of Public Concern Over Conducted Energy Weapons

Over the last several decades, “Tasers,” “stun guns” and other conducted energy devices (CEDs) have become a widely adopted, though publicly controversial, form of police restraint technology. While there is a growing body of research on the physiological effects of these types of weapons, less attention has been devoted to the social effects of this technology. This paper draws on in - depth interviews with a stratified random sample of police training officers from two states (n=27) to explore the effect that community controversy over the use of CEDs has had on police organizational practices. In particular, we explore how police training officers: (a ) Represent the sources of recent community controversies relating to CEDs; (b ) Characterize the effects that community controversy has on officer practices and policy development.

Correlates of Foot Pursuit Injuries in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

Police foot pursuits have come under increased scrutiny in recent years because of concerns of officer-involved shootings and fatalities associated with this tactical response. Consequently, there have been calls for police administrators to place strict limits on officer discretion to engage in foot pursuits. Such limits may be premature, however, given limited empirical evidence regarding the hazards of foot pursuits. To help inform this debate, this study analyzed foot-pursuit injuries using data provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The findings indicate that in the vast majority of pursuits, deputies and suspects were uninjured or sustained only minor injuries. In this regard, they do not appear to be any more hazardous than resistive encounters generally. However, that suspects were injured in 60% of foot pursuits and that the use of conducted energy devices by deputies was associated with an increased odds of suspect injury suggest the dynamics of foot pursuits may be different.

Police Use of Force and Officer Injuries

The widespread adoption of conducted energy devices (CEDs) across American police departments over the last decade has been mired in public controversy. It is generally accepted, from a police perspective, that CEDs are safer for officers who can use the weapon at a greater distance, avoiding much of the harm associated with close physical struggles with citizens. Research has generally supported the notion that aggregate levels of officer injuries are reduced following the implementation of CEDs. Unfortunately, multivariate examinations that, in varying degrees, have attempted to compare CED applications to other forms of force (while controlling for rival causal factors) have yet to produce the same consistent results as the pre- and post-CED adoption studies. The current research adds to recent multivariate inquiries by using data collected as part of a national multiagency use of force project to assess the independent effect of CEDs on officer injuries. Based on a series of multivariate models, our results generally find evidence of increased benefits (i.e., lower probability of officer injury) of CEDs when used by themselves. By contrast, in some instances when CEDs were used in combination with other forms of force, there was an increased probability of officer injury. The implications of these findings for police researchers and practitioners are considered.