Police Use-of-Force Continuum

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The Use-of-Force Continuum is intended to provide guidance for police officers on the appropriate, proportional level of force to use when trying to gain compliance. There seems to be a logical progression in the modern continuum, constructed in with the goal of minimizing an officer’s use of force. This research found that physical force (soft and hard) as a ‘lower’ force option than less-lethal tools is associated with increased officer injury.

Main Topics

•There is a “muddy middle” in the continuum, complicating the logical progression of some type of force.
•What’s the difference between “injury” and “pain?”
•How can 120 different variations in the continuum all be right?

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