Police in America. Steven G. Brandl

      Group 1 consists of people who would obey the law even if there were no police.

      Group 2 consists of people who obey the law because they fear the consequences of breaking it.

      Group 3 consists of people who break the law even though they may get arrested by the police; they have no regard for the consequences. This group consists of criminals.

      Some people do not need to be deterred; other people will not be deterred.

      It is also important to recognize that not all people are equal in their criminal tendencies (see Exhibit 4.3). At some level of abstraction, there are probably people who would never commit a crime, or at least a serious crime. These people would obey the law even if there were no police, no threat of punishment (Group 1). On the other extreme are people who commit crimes with no regard for the police (Group 3). They are motivated to commit crimes regardless of the threat of police action. It is probably fair to say that no matter what the police do, these people will still commit crimes. The people in the middle are the people who would likely be affected by police actions and strategies to control crime (Group 2). Before committing a crime, they may consider the risks of getting caught by the police and punished by the criminal justice system. The point is that the police do not deter some people and do not need to deter others.

      The Police Deal With Situations Where Force May Need to Be Used

      The tools used in occupations give clues about why those occupations exist. Farmers use tractors because they cultivate crops and grow food for people to eat. Garbage collectors use trucks because people create garbage that needs to be removed. Teachers use books because people need to be educated. Physicians use stethoscopes and a variety of other instruments to diagnose illnesses so they can heal people.

      Technology on the Job

      The Continuum of Force, OC Spray, and Tasers

      Although use of force is discussed in detail in Chapter 11, it is useful to introduce the concept of the continuum of force and less lethal force here.

      There are many different versions of the continuum of force, but the basic idea behind all of them is that the police must only use as much force as necessary to overcome the resistance offered by a noncompliant subject. The initial steps on the continuum consist of officer presence and verbal commands. If these forms of force do not induce compliance, then it is appropriate to use physical force. The most common form of physical force is bodily force wherein officers use their bodies to gain control and compliance over subjects. If bodily force does not work, then a weapon such as a Taser or oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray is appropriately used. Finally, if none of these options produces subject compliance or is appropriate given the situation (for example, the subject is armed and poses an immediate threat to officers or citizens), then deadly force (via a firearm) would be appropriately used.

      OC spray and Tasers are generally considered to be forms of force that are less likely to be lethal, at least when compared to firearms. OC is an inflammatory agent naturally found in cayenne peppers. Ideally, when a person is sprayed in the face with OC, the effects are immediate: The respiratory tract becomes inflamed; the subject experiences an intense burning sensation and swelling around the eyes, which close involuntarily; and the subject is no longer able to resist. Police departments have been using OC spray since the 1980s.

      TASER (short for Thomas A. Swift Electric Rifle) is the brand name of an electronic stun device and is the most popular such device on the market. Tasers were first introduced in police departments in the 1990s. A Taser resembles a gun. When the trigger is pulled, two wired probes are discharged from the gun and fired into the body of a subject. An electrical current then runs from the weapon through the wires and into the subject’s body. When both probes attach to the subject, the Taser delivers the electrical current, which overrides the central nervous system. This causes involuntary muscle contractions and the incapacitation of the resisting subject. The weapon can also be used in drive-stun mode. In this mode, the weapon itself is placed in contact with the subject’s body to deliver the electrical current. Used in this way, the weapon causes localized pain that can be used to allow officers to overcome the resistance of the subject. In many police departments, the use of a Taser in drive-stun mode is discouraged or even prohibited except in extreme circumstances.

      A Question to Consider 4.1 Does the Authority to Use Force Really Make the Police Unique?

      Although it has been argued that authority to use force differentiates the police occupation from all others, upon further reflection, it appears that people in many other occupations also have the authority to use force—for example, bouncers at a bar, football players, soldiers, and martial arts fighters. But how does police authority to use force differ from these occupations? Explain your answer. Hint: Think about the situations in which the police can use force, compared to people in these other occupations.

      Using this line of reasoning, the tools used by police include handcuffs, batons, firearms, pepper spray, and Tasers, among others. Arguably, the most important tool of the police is their ability to use force, or at least the threat of force (see Technology on the Job feature). The police have the authority to use force so that people listen to them and obey their orders. If the police are responsible for regulating the conduct of citizens, having such a tool can certainly help. Citizens might obey the orders of the police because, if they do not, the police may use force upon them. Indeed, scholars have identified police authority to use force as the central feature of the police function—a feature that differentiates the police occupation from all others.²³ However, it is not just the authority to use force that makes the police unique; it is that the police can potentially use force in virtually any situation or location.