Summary
The 2011 Electronic Control Weapon Guidelines publication is based on information gathered from workshops, interviews, and a national survey that examined the use of ECWs. In August 2010, an executive session comprising police, medical, and legal professionals convened in Philadelphia to focus on ECW policy and practice. Afterward, a concentrated working group spent a second day reviewing and modifying an earlier set of guidelines produced in 2005. As a result, this 2011 revised version represents the collective knowledge, experience, and expertise of participants who shared their ideas and concerns throughout this process. This publication is intended to guide law enforcement agencies as they consider how ECWs can be used in use-of-force situations, balancing responsibility and accountability as well as recognizing that ECWs are appropriate weapons when officers must resort to use of force.
Contents
Letter from the director --
Foreword --
Acknowledgments --
Introduction --
Guiding principles for ECWs --
Electronic control weapon guidelines --
Background information --
References --
Glossary --
Appendix A: PERF Executive session participants --
Appendix B: Working group participants --
About the COPS office --
About PERF.