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Levels of Force in Law Enforcement: What's the Secret Behind Each Level?
In today's society, the use of force by law enforcement agencies is a growing concern. The question of when and how police use force when confronting resisters is an extremely complex one. In order to assist law enforcement agencies in effectively carrying out their duties while protecting the rights and interests of citizens, the "use of force continuum" was introduced as a guiding standard.
The use of force continuum is a standard that provides law enforcement and civilians with guidance on how much force should be used in specific situations for different levels of resistance.
The specific use of force continuum model varies among law enforcement agencies, and no single standard exists. These models were developed primarily to provide both law enforcement officers and the public with a clear understanding and rational assessment of the levels of force that should be used in law enforcement.
Continuum model of use of force
The earliest use of force continuum models emerged in the 1980s and 1990s, often presented in a graphical or "staircase" format. The core idea behind these models is that law enforcement officers should escalate or de-escalate their use of force based on the suspect's reaction.
These models are designed to help law enforcement officers make quick and appropriate judgments when faced with rental situations, including when to use what force.
Different levels of use of force
According to relevant U.S. government publications, the use of force continuum can be basically divided into six levels:
- Presence of law enforcers
- Verbal instructions
- Soft Control
- Hard Control
- Intermediary weapons
- Deadly force
The levels are designed based on the interaction between law enforcement and suspects, showing how law enforcement should react in different situations. Taking the "presence of law enforcement officers" as an example, the mere visual presence of public authority can already make suspects comply with verbal instructions without the need for actual use of force.
Classification of suspects
On the use-of-force continuum, a suspect's behavior is divided into different categories to determine the corresponding level of force:
- Passive Compliant
- Passive resister
- Active resisters
- Active attacker
Law enforcement officers need to quickly determine the level of force to apply based on the type of behavior of the suspect.
Reasonable standards and excessive force
According to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Graham v. Connor, the standard for judging excessive use of force is "objective reasonableness." This means that the force used by law enforcement officers during law enforcement must be evaluated based on the situation and the perspective of a reasonable law enforcement officer.
There is no absolutely clear standard for assessing when the use of force is necessary, which complicates assessing what is reasonable in different circumstances. Therefore, the International Association of Chiefs of Police defines "use of force" as the amount of effort required by law enforcement to coerce an unwilling suspect.
Observation and research on the use of force
The study points out that in real law enforcement, historical data shows that when force is truly necessary, most law enforcement officers prefer to use unarmed force, such as grabbing or pushing. However, when a suspect demonstrates contempt for law enforcement or violent resistance, the probability of use of force increases significantly.
Several studies have shown that there is no consistent conclusion on the impact of gender on the use of force. Some studies indicate that male suspects are more likely to be the targets of force, while other studies show no significant gender differences.
Overall, the use of force continuum plays an important role in today's law enforcement environment, helping law enforcement officers effectively carry out their duties and providing protection to the public. Whether it's designing good policies or getting the right training, it's all part of ensuring law enforcement acts appropriately.
With continued social attention and discussion on law enforcement forms, how should the future law enforcement framework evolve to better ensure justice and security?
