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Issues in Criminal Justice and Technology
home > Unit 2: technology in Criminal Justice practice
In-depth look at one example: the death
of Victoria Snelgrove and Boston's
plans to control rioting Sunday
- Devices such as pepperball were referred to as "non-lethal."
Critics
say that gives false sense of confidence in their safety.
- "These weapons lull the
user into a false sense of security, and promote the idea that
employing them over rifles or handguns validates the use of a
still-violent and still-lethal weapon. On their website PepperBall
Technologies, Inc goes so far as to say the following:
Never target the head, throat, face, eyes, or spine.
If the company safety literature instructs the weapon handler to not aim for the face, how did Victoria Snelgrove get a pepperball through her eye?--Approximately Perfect blog - Operation Sunshine has documented a lot of problems with these weapons.
- Now, there's a move to redefine them as "less-lethal"
- The NIJ report on pepper spray concluded that though generally assumed to be safe and effective, the consequences of the use of pepper spray, as with any use of force, can never be predicted with certainty
- ACLU report was very critical of the field and problems.
- The independent investigation of Snelgrove case will look at the weapons themselves as well as training and policy.
- Writing in the wake of the Snelgrove
incident, one attorney for police wrote:
"What can we as officers do to protect ourselves civilly?
(1) make sure that you are 'certified' on the weapon that you are using;
(2) make sure that the weapons is working properly at all times;
(3) use care and good judgment in the use of any type of force, especially in light of all of the attendant circumstances;
(4) try to assure that you the officer will be shielded by Qualified Immunity by making sure that your activities do not violate individuals civil rights and that your actions were reasonable under the circumstances. And how exactly do you make sure that your actions were reasonable?"
John Malcolm, Liability Issues in Pepper Ball and Other 'Non-Lethal' Weapons"
- "These weapons lull the
user into a false sense of security, and promote the idea that
employing them over rifles or handguns validates the use of a
still-violent and still-lethal weapon. On their website PepperBall
Technologies, Inc goes so far as to say the following:
- Discussion:
- what are the broader implications of the Snelgrove case?
- how do the decisions of administrators to use these weapons put police and citizens at risk?
- what is an appropriate balance of risk and prevention in using them?
Technology to protect police personnel
- only a few have to draw weapons on duty
- significant decline in number of police
killed in line of duty.
Possible factors, more sophisticated training, resulting in more measured response to violence; use of body-armor, computer-aided dispatching (why? because they know more about situation before responding); use of semi-automatic weapons.- Firearms:
weapons didn't appear until early 1860's. "Guns became more commonplace as citizens began to accept the violence that periodically erupted in police-citizen encounters, and supported the officers' need to protect themselves," but there was still controversy in early years about carrying firearms. Boston was first to arm all officers, but originally, only at night. Late 1800s, Boston gave every officer Smith and Wesson .38. Late 1890s, New York officially armed them with Colt .32.
1960s: move toward semi-automatic pistols because of compact size, more ammunition capcity, fast reload , rapid fire and reduced recoil. More important, in recent years, is necessity of more powerful weapons than revolver as criminals have begun to carry Uzis, AK47s, etc. Perception more important than reality: critics "cited statistics showing an officer rarely fires more than five bullets in a gunfight; said shot placement and tactics were the problem, that officers were undertrained, that training was unrealistic, and that range qualification once a year was not enough. They argued that semi-automatics were subject to mechanical problems, jammed far too often, and would ratchet training expenses up to an unmanageable level. Although the arguments, claims and assertions were true for the most part, the facts did little to assuage the fear of line officers. It was a debate of perception. Whether or not they were outgunned was not a concern. What mattered was that most officers felt better, and in some cases shot better, with increased
firepower on their duty belts."
Continued development in sidearms: new bullets, new triggers, smaller semi-automatics ("pocket rockets") - Other firearms:
- Shotguns
"Carried in cruisers, these weapons give officers a psychological advantage merely by the easily recognizable sound of racking the action, which can be intimidating enough to stop a criminal in his tracks. It also makes the officer a more daunting force, something that is especially true for smaller officers. " Preferred for entry use: work well in small spaces and short distance; can be loaded with various ammunition, incluing tear gas. - Rifles:
primarily for sniper or distance shooting, Because it is devastating distance weapon, also dangerous to innocent bystanders. "Stray rounds have an
extremely high penetration rate and can travel several miles before they slow down."
-"...sometimes even the tiniest change can be a dramatic improvement. One firearms company has found a way to give marksmen/snipers the extreme accuracy needed for tactical shooting. " by substituting an adjustable muzzle break and tuning mechanism at end of barrel, instead of the heavy "bull barrel needed before. Originally done for hunting rifles, and eventually for police.
- Shotguns
- Firearms: