As a police officer, your work is to protect and serve. Actually, an officer’s primary task is to ensure the safety of citizens. Unfortunately, as an officer, there may come a time when you need to enforce the very law in order to safeguard others. All officers of the law need to know how to do their work efficiently. Below are some of the things you need to be aware of when it comes to excess use-of-force to help you avoid accusations.
Use Force that is Legal
Yes, it is possible to use force legally. It is essential for you to do the best in your capacity when a situation calls for use-of-force. One of the best things to do is to ensure you solve the issue as quickly as it arises. It is also necessary for you to remember all the things that are taught while you were at training. However, you might come across situations that require you to think on your feet. Whenever that is the case, you need to use the reasonable and lawful force as best as you can.
Write a Good and Concise Report as Soon as an Instance Occurs
Whenever you use force, you need to consider that you might be sued for excessive use-of-force. As such, it is essential that you detail a clear report on the same as soon as the incident happens. Make sure you do this quickly or within the same day.
Understand the Law
As a police officer, it is always vital that you know the law in your state or country before you use any force on a suspect. You should never act using force if you do not understand what the law says about the situation at hand. By doing this you can prevent unnecessary accusations that may complicate things further. Before acting at any time make sure that you have looked at the situation first. You need to assess the nature of the crime and look at what has caused the officer and the suspect to meet. In addition to this, you should also look at any immediate threat being caused and whether there is a case of the suspect evading arrest. These factors can be used at deciding whether the use of force was required in a particular situation.
Know the Use of Force Policy
There are policies that are meant to be followed in each department in the law enforcement industry. You will come across policies related to the use of force. If you are in this industry, it is your job to find out what your department has to say about the use of force. Following the right policies is important because the jury will always consider whether you followed the required protocol.
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