We had barely had a chance to register outrage over the plan to spend $20 million taxpayer dollars on shock gloves for ICE (so they can be more abusive in less obvious and photographable ways) when the news dropped that Omaha public middle and high schools are already deploying the gloves for use against students.
The Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter (G.L.O.V.E.) is similar to a taser but doesn't break the skin with darts (because abuse that doesn't leave a mark is easier to hide). Compliant Technologies ("#1 in hands on de-escalation") has loads of demonstration videos. They were out plugging this thing three years, simultaneously arguing that on the one hand it will bring quick compliance and control and on the other hand is kind of like that thing chiropractors use on patients.
GLOVE is being used by school resource officers in Omaha and were purchased and deployed by the Omaha police department. McKenzy Parson for KETV passed along this delightful quote:
"What we've seen thus far is immediate compliance," Jason Cvitanov said. "That's a benefit to everyone involved, because it is such a low level of force being utilized by officers, which is the goal in every situation, gaining control, using just enough force to accomplish that task. And this would be after de-escalation attempts as well as verbal commands being provided."
Cvitanov appears to be both an Omaha police officer and a consultant with a group of "elite level professional combat athletes, law enforcement, military, and medical professionals." The Omaha police department spent about $60K on 40 gloves.
The gloves have apparently been used twice in the last year. NPR figures about 50 police departments are using the devices in about 20 states. Fortune reports "The CTG-5 G.L.O.V.E. products deliver shocks ranging from 324 to 362 volts and have a hard operational limit of 380 volts. By comparison, a taser can reach between 1,200 and 1,500 volts."
There are so many differences between a cop operating in a situation where someone has broken the law and an SRO operating in a situation where a student is being non-compliant, but here's one that doesn't get discussed often enough. A police officer collects someone who has broken the law and puts them into the legal system, and the two may never interact again as they each move on in a multi-level, many-parted world.
But to claim that using force -- electrical or otherwise-- against a student will never qualify as de-escalation, because the school is a small, closed system, and the use of force to solve a problem changes the student's relationship with the school and all the parts of it. That was part of the concept of SROs in the first place-- instead of the faceless scary authority of a uniform and badge, students could develop a daily relationship with Kindly Officer Krupke that would, hopefully, make it easier for Kindly Officer Krupke to intervene in positive and de-escalating ways. I know there are other reasons to oppose SROs, but I've seen this particular aspect work, sort of, in my old school.
But if Kindly Officer Krupke is going to become the guy who slammed a kid's head into the floor or gave her the old grab-and-zap for not complying with directions quickly enough, the school is building a different sort of relationship, and it's not helpful to anyone. If we're going to move the most dysfunctional sort of police-citizen relationship into schools, one based on forced compliance and authoritarianism, that will be bad for the culture of the school and the education of the students.
GLOVEs are worse because they are so easy. Now adults who already outclass students with size and strength don't even have to work up a sweat. Kid pisses you off? Just grab and zap. It's lazy authoritarianism, cheap and easy compliance culture.
GLOVEs don't belong anywhere, but they especially don't belong in schools. We unquestionably have issues with discipline and student conduct in schools, but this is not the way. Sure hope it doesn't spread.
No comments:
Post a Comment