Finding ways to use technology to ensure the most effective use of technology to enhance public safety has value for police departments. These actions can provide increase the quality of life and reduce the number of difficult critical situations that are associated with the use of weapons by government officials. One such alternative is conducted energy weapons, the advantages of which are a low threat to people’s lives and greater accessibility. The disadvantages of this type are the need for complex training and the possibility of causing serious harm to individuals. This work is a research paper for the Mayor of Virtual City on implementing a Conducted Energy Weapon program for the Virtual City Police Department, which will consider the pros and cons of conducted energy weapons.
First of all, it is necessary to gain an understanding of what a conducted energy weapon (CEW) is before proceeding to discuss its strengths and weaknesses. Henceforth, this type of weapon is a device that uses electrical current to cause harm (Vilke et al., 2019). Physical damage is thereby caused mainly by the sensory and motor nervous system. At the moment, this kind of weapon is produced by many companies and retailed at various prices depending on the technology’s characteristics and the buyers’ requirements. In addition, this type of weapon is known as a shocker, so this name will also be used in this work.
Furthermore, this work will consider the advantages that CEW has over any other type of weapon for law enforcement. Thus, the introduction and use of CEW by police departments will help to gain more remarkable plasticity in situations of risk and threat to life. This is due to the fact that shockers have a low probability of causing serious physical harm and the possibility of death. Sources do not deny that a fatal outcome is possible; however, it can occur only if there are additional conditions, such as problems with the attacked’s cardiac system (Kroll et al., 2019). The second advantage of this type of weapon is accessibility. This criterion means not only a large number of variants and manufacturers. In addition, this also includes a reduced amount, but not the absence, of additional documentation, compared to firearms.
One of the main disadvantages that should be considered when it is possible to implement CEW use programs is a rather lengthy and complex process of training for police department employees. Thus, it affects a valuable time resource that may be required for a complete transition to the conducted energy weapon program. Staff training should include the transfer of knowledge about the specifics of the use of technology and the limitations and responsibilities of those who use them (Dymond, 2020). Another disadvantage is the factor that casts doubt on one of the advantages of CED, and it is the impossibility of causing a fatal outcome. Shockers, especially if misused, can cause death (Kunz et al., 2018). Hence, this can cause serious problems with the nervous system and the heart, which is also negatively affected.
Therefore, this study provided information about the advantages and disadvantages of using conducted energy weapons for the Virtual City Police Department. After the research, among the advantages were highlighted the reduced possibility of causing severe harm to people and the high availability of technology. The downside was that the use of this type of weapon still does not exclude a fatal outcome and requires temporarily costly training of employees.
References
Dymond, A. (2020). ‘Taser, Taser’! Exploring factors associated with police use of Taser in England and Wales. Policing and Society, 30(4), 396-411.
Kroll, M. W., Brave, M. A., Pratt, H. M. O., Witte, K. K., Kunz, S. N., & Luceri, R. M. (2019). Benefits, risks, and myths of TASER® handheld electrical weapons. Human Factors and Mechanical Engineering for Defense and Safety, 3(1), 1-13.
Kunz, S. N., Calkins, H., Adamec, J., & Kroll, M. W. (2018). Cardiac and skeletal muscle effects of electrical weapons. Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology, 14(3), 358-366.
Vilke, G., Chan, T., Bozeman, W. P., & Childers, R. (2019). Emergency department evaluation after conducted energy weapon use: review of the literature for the clinician. The Journal of Emergency Medicine, 57(5), 740-746.