Use of Force Continuum

A '''use of force continuum''' is a standard that affords law enforcement officials & security officers (police, probation, or corrections) with guidelines as to how much use of force may be used against a repelling subject in a given situation. In certain ways it is similar to the military’s escalation of force. The reason of these models is to clarify, both for officers and citizens, the complex subject of use of force by law officers. They are often vital parts of law enforcement agencies' use of force policies. Although various agencies have developed different models of the continuum, there is no universal standard model (Stetser, 2001, p. 36)

The initial examples of use of force continuum were developed in the 1980s and early 1990s. Early models were portrayed in various formats, including graphs, semicircular gauges, and linear developments. Most often the models are presented in a "stair step" approach, with each level matched by a corresponding level of subject opposition, although it is commonly eminent that an officer need not progress through each level before attaining the final level of force. These developments rest on the evidence that officers should heighten and decrease their level of force in reaction to the subject's actions.

Although the use of force continuum is used chiefly as a training tool for law officers, it is also valuable with citizens, such as in criminal court cases by police review boards. Specifically, a graphical illustration of a use of force continuum is useful to a jury when deciding whether an officer's use of force was sensible.

While the precise progression of force varies significantly (especially the extensive gap between soft control and deadly force) among different agencie...

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...enforcement officer must respond to resistance offered by another. In order to determine what actions officers find reasonable in similar situations, some experts utilize surveys with law enforcement officers, who are provided with certain scenarios to determine what actions they would take if placed in certain situations. Knowing what other officers and citizens deem reasonable helps to craft a solid response to opposition continuum.

Works Cited

Faulkner, S. (2007). Response to resistance- Defining what is objectively reasonable. Retrieved from: http://www.responsetoresistance.com

Stetser, Merle (2001). The Use of Force in Police Control of Violence: Incidents Resulting in Assaults on Officers. New York: LFB Scholarly Publishing L.L.C.

Desmedt, John C. (2009). The Use of Force Paradigm for Enforcement and Corrections. Retrieved from http://www.pss.cc/uofm.htm