Electronic control devices and use of force outcomes Incidence and severity of use of force, and frequency of injuries to arrestees and police officers

Purpose - This paper seeks to address a deficit in the criminal justice literature by examining patterns of electronic control device (ECD) use and effectiveness as reflected in 1,188 official police use-of-force report records collected over a three-year period (2005-2007) by the Washington State Patrol (WSP). Design/methodology/approach - Chi-square, t-test, ANOVA and logistic regression analysis were employed to analyze the data with respect to patterns of use and outcomes for officers and arrestees. Findings - The findings observed indicate that the ECD tended to replace several other types of force used to gain compliance, tended to resolve incidents involving the use of force with fewer forms of force being used, and decreased officer injury rates. The ECD was rated as generally effective by officers, but not as effective as other methods of gaining compliance in life-threatening situations. Results concerning suspect injury rates were somewhat mixed. Research limitations/implications - Relying on the official self-report from a single agency limits the ability to generalize to other law enforcement agencies. Practical implications - The paper indicates the importance of providing for the systematic collection of data on police use of force involving the threat of use and deployment of the ECD. Originality/value - A number of questions concerning ECD's appropriate use, effectiveness, and potential for harm have remained largely unanswered. The paper addresses this deficit in the criminal justice literature.