Should School Resource Officers be Permitted to Use Tasers on Youth - Assignment Example

Should School Resource Officers be Permitted to Use Tasers on Youth? Executive Summary Tasers have been in use for a long period. Law enforcers in various states have used tasers to control the behaviors of rowdy youths who break school policies. However, their use has been in discussion for many years, with people having different opinions. School officers prefer tasers to firearms. Parents and teachers feel that they endanger the safety of their children, especially those in kindergarten. The tool has helped calm down unruly students without putting their lives at risk. They are simply less messy compared to other gadgets. Despite their huge success, tasers have caused serious harm on some, even though the number is minimal. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate what works and what does not when it comes to handling the small machine. It will be better to find a common ground for both the law enforcers and society so that the device can be put into its best use. The debate between the two opposing forces can be settled with an assessment of tasers, highlighting its pros and cons. In doing so, police officers will be equipped in handling the gadget and parents will be assured of their children’s safety, putting less friction in their usage. Should School Resource Officers be permitted to use Tasers on Youth? Introduction The taser was invented in 1969. It works by delivering a high voltage current electric shock that temporarily paralyzes an individual by interrupting the usual energy pulses of the body. TASER is an acronym for “Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle”. Law enforcers’ employment of taser stun guns has dramatically increased over the years. It has a shape like a firearm, has cartridges that fire two electrodes up to a distance of 15 feet in civilian models and 35 feet in law enforcement variants (Elliott et al., 2012). Upon firing, the electrodes attach to the skin, preventing removal, and deliver up to 1200 volts at a frequency of nineteen pulses per second. After the first shock, which takes about 5 seconds, the gadget can be manually operated and activated for longer use. In issues used by law enforcement models, it is possible to remove the cartridge discharge the electric pulse directly on the body. This is often referred to as the device's drive stun setting. Taser International, the manufacturer, claims they are in use in over 11,000 law enforcement agencies. The weapon is touted by the company as a device that saves lives (White et al., 2007). Many people walk around with Tasers as a device for protection against any assault. Women prefer the Taser or pepper spray as a way of preventing any sexual harassment posed to them. Review of Research and Policies The taser is a common device that the law enforcers are in support of in a school setting. However, the experience most school-based law enforcement personnel have with firearms in educational settings has allowed them to comprehend the gravity of carrying devices like Tasers in schools. Most school-based law enforcement personnel are knowledgeable about the need for discretion, self-control, and rationality in the use of firearms in educational settings. In addition, school-based law enforcement officers are often more skilled and acquainted in managing students and juveniles than normal police officers because the latter are not experienced in school settings. They have little understanding on how to handle and control a child. School-based officers have better communication skills with children and are better equipped to convince them not to resist situations and give in. Officers do not use the taser if the situation at hand can be controlled. They communicate to students before choosing to use the gadget on them. Some officers have used the taser wrongly, calling to attention the need to protect a child. The school officers go through training before they use tasers on students to avoid hurting them. The use of the firearm is viewed as perilous and uncalled for in any environment, especially a school setting. Parents and the public do not advocate the use of guns in schools. In some cases, the taser is perceived harmful. Children addicted to drugs are said to be at a death risk if a taser were to be used on them. They may suffer a heart attack as a result of the shock induced. The drug in their body system makes them vulnerable to alarming incidents. Others may suffer brain damage due to the electric impulses that enter their brain while they are high on drugs. In other situations, the use of some medications may reduce the effectiveness of the taser by impeding electrical impulses from traveling to the brain. Children who are in Kindergarten are vulnerable to the Taser (Williams, 2008). Parents are against the use of the device on children at such a tender age. Students at the beginning of puberty are also considered vulnerable to the effects of the device. Law enforcement agencies have developed an advanced taser stun gun device that can be used for children who are hard to control, especially those that are in juvenile correction units. This has been possible due to the advanced technology that has made situations easier to control. Parents and the public are highly concerned about the safety of their children being around the taser. They believe that it should not be used on children who are in kindergarten because they are believed to be too young to commit offences that can force the use of the taser (White & Ready, 2007). Numerous researches have been conducted on the use of tasers on children and adults. Most juveniles are teenagers undergoing the adolescent stage in life. Research shows that at that stage of growth, the brain begins to develop. A teenager has the tendency of feeling “superior” to others, and this causes them to become rebels. They tend to want to have their way with everything, and this causes them to turn into criminal activities. Most of them act out due to lack of attention from their parents or peer pressure. Officers working in juvenile correction units are advised to carry tasers. They are better in controlling children when they get out of hand. Law enforcement has come up with policies and force-continuum guidelines that have been in use for many years by police departments. The culture of a police department reflects its beliefs as an organization. These beliefs are reflected in the department’s recruitment and selection practices, policies and procedures, training and growth and, finally, in the conduct of its personnel in law enforcement activities (Conner, 2011). Police officers are expected to maintain law and order’ they are not to cause any conflicts between them and the citizens particularly in their areas of operation. A level of understanding must be reached between them and the citizens. School-based officers should protect the rights of children as citizens and preserve their lives through the prevention of crime within school settings. This can only be done through improved cooperation and coordination among federal, regional, local policing, and other law enforcement agencies that help bridge jurisdictional tensions and prevent conflicts between the citizens and the police officers. This, in the process, improves their relationship. The relationship between school-based officers and children is enabled by the intensive training of the police. Training helps them have a deeper understanding of the children and be sensitive towards them. The training also helps law enforcement officers recruit and select suitable candidates for the job as handling kids is not an easy task especially those that are not easy to control. Supportive measures are also to be put in places where a police officer may use a Taser on a student (Vogel, 2008). These measures will enable the school-based officers have an easy time with members of the public who are against the use of tasers on children. They may also help in the reduction of certain risks such as death or organ damage. One supportive measure that could be included into procedures, for example, is to take to the hospital any student on whom a taser has been used in school prior to the student being booked or processed by police. This will prevent any health issues that the student may have in the future by enabling them live a healthy life. Students under drug addiction are the most vulnerable to health problems and hence should receive urgent medical attention in the event of any complications (Nielson, 2006). Another procedure could focus on protocols for the joint release of information on incidents to families and new outlets by police departments and schools. This will help parents and the media become aware of what is happening in schools and how to respond if their children are exposed to any harm. The use of Tasers in schools should be made public. Some parents may sue a school for the use of it if they were not informed about it or if their children are involved in any incidents in which tasers have been used (Gaydos, 2009). Therefore, it is crucial to make the public aware. Conclusion Tasers are the best devices for controlling situations in schools. They are harmless and easier to manage and handle. Tasers are a useful tool for police officers, adding a new step to force-continuum used by the police to counter threats against the safety of the public at large. Police officers equipped with tasers are those that are certified by law to carry them. They do not have as many risks as there are with firearms. An officer can restrain a student who does not wish to comply with the orders given to them. Tasers are also an additional intervention tool that falls between the ultimate use of deadly force like the firearms and other less-than-lethal measures. Law enforcement officials have admitted that in some case, tasers may be more than other measures like pepper sprays. Furthermore, it is less dangerous to bystanders (compared to than pepper spray) when used in a crowd. In the US, several police divisions have also cited tasers as a factor in the major decreases in suspect and officer injuries as well as decreases in police officer firearm shootings. Therefore, tasers are the best means of controlling situations in schools especially in the juvenile correction centers. They should be allowed in every learning institution worldwide. They should be recommended for those officers that do not know how to handle a firearm. They are best for the juvenile correction units where children are most troublesome and not easily controlled. In the case of adult prisons, they are also effective in situations where prisoners are involved in fights or breakouts. They are also best recommended for those officers who patrol streets where the risk of encountering unarmed criminals is high. Tasers are also suitable for young women who may run into sexual offenders. It acts as a defensive measure that helps them escape to safety from such crimes. Their usage is effective in controlling a large number of offenses that can go overboard in the application of other gadgets. Recommendations Although this paper has concluded that school resource officers should be permitted to use tasers on youth, there are issues that need to be considered in any situation that involves the use of the device in schools. Firstly, school-based officers should keep in mind the possible effects of the device on an individual. This calls for self-control and proper use at all times. Secondly, schools and government agencies should collaborate with law enforcement agencies to develop more effective and less harmful ways of using tasers in schools. There is no doubt that its usage can be improved to reduce any potential adverse effects. Finally, schools should also indoctrinate students in good behavior and responsibility, especially when dealing with law enforcement officials. This will reduce the need to use tasers and avoid potentially harmful implications and situations. References Conner, G. (2011). Use of Force Continuum. Law and Order, 3, 30-32. Elliott, L. R., & Riley, A. W. (2012). Tasers and Conducted Energy Devices: Safety and Use by Law Enforcement. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Incorporated. Gaydos, S. J. (2009). Taser Subjects: Identification of High-risk Individuals. Texas: University of Texas Medical Branch Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. John, A., & Jeffreys, R. (2007). The Police and the Public. Law enforcement, 22 (3), 67-82. Nielson, E. (2006). The Advanced Taser. Taser International Takes the Taser to a Higher Level, 49 (5), 57–62. Vogel, K. (2008). “Tasertron Tactics,”. Law and Order, 46 (2), 49–52. White, M. D., & Ready, J. (2007). The Taser as a Less Lethal Force Alternative. Findings on Use and Effectiveness in a Large Metropolitan Police Agency, 10 (3), 170–191. Williams, H. E. (2008). Taser Electronic Control Devices and Sudden In-custody Death: Separating Evidence from Conjecture. London: Charles C Thomas Publisher. Read More