Attached are the four responses questions I need answered and a Journal Article information I need help with. Please feel free to ask me any questions.
Jacqui-Lee Astacio
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Should there be limits placed on the types of weapons a police officer may use against a child?
As a mother, my initial response is “Weapons on kids?!” I understand that the world is not an ideal place and that even children are violent and aggressive and even capable of actions that are deemed adult activities. Children nowadays are exposed to so much and shielded from very little. The juvenile arrest consists of a percentage of the arrests in America. I had a really hard with this question. I believe that there is always going to be some risk to both the offender as well as officers involved in any detainment or arresting situation and that we should always take precautions when in these situations; even more so when interacting with children. Firstly, I believe that minors should be broken into different categories age 12 is when children are generally considered adults when prescribing medicine. Ten and under should be a category where force beyond physical should only be used in the most severe circumstances. Ages Eleven and over should be broken down to the type of offense being committed. With the most serious offenses requiring the more force and progressing to the use of weapons like tasers.
As I have said previously my initial response was that weapons and children should not go together however after doing some research, I have had to reconsider my position. The biggest influencer was the fact that while juvenile arrests have decreased the severity of the offense has steadily increased. Minors have begun to act more violently and aggressively without having prior incidents. In previous decades juvenile offenders typically start small, truancy, stealing, vandalism and so forth, working their way up to more violent crimes. “Between 1984 and 1993, arrests of juveniles for violent offenses rose by nearly sixty-eight percent. Id. Most of this increase occurred between 1989 and 1993, during which time juvenile arrests for murder increased forty-five percent, arrests for robbery increased thirty-seven percent, and arrests for aggravated assault increased thirty-seven percent.” (Juvenile Crime Facts, n.d.). Unfortunately, nowadays younger and younger offenders are committing severely violent crimes. Just this past week a 10-year-old stomped a 6-month old’s head to make him stop crying. A 14-year-old stabbed his teacher, two 14-year-old girls were found hiding in a school bathroom with knives and a plan to overpower smaller students, kill them and dismember their bodies to scatter the parts down the hall. Videos are always popping up of altercations, it seems that almost any situation no matter how minor is met with a violent response.
Ultimately, I believe that there should be limits placed on the weapons used against children but I believe these limitations should be situational not merely age, a 12-year-old can pull a trigger or wield a knife the same as an adult, in every circumstance we should be striving for minimal risk to both the offender and the officer.
John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” Officers risk their lives every single day, laying their lives on the line for public safety. These individuals have the right to be safe from harm as well.
Faith Akins
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Should there be limits placed on the types of weapons a police officer may use against a child?
Police officers across the United States are using various techniques to deal with situations that involve violence including with juveniles. I believe limits should not be placed on the type of weapon used against a child. I feel strongly about this for several reasons. In 2009, there was a six year old who stole his parent’s car claiming that Grand Theft Auto taught him how to drive. As dangerous as this was this child place many lives in jeopardy based upon a video game. You cannot under estimate the ability of what children can do. Many children are now mimicking the behaviors they are seeing on video games. Now do I feel law enforcement should not treat every juvenile call the same, absolutely. Depending on the severity of each call, law enforcement should use good judgments and handle each call accordingly. Police officers may exercise discretion in order to get control of the situation or to help maintain safety amongst themselves or the community.
According to research when officers are dealing with children they feel, “there are two broad categories of restraint: those that cause pain and those that attempt to avoid causing pain. The two most common methods of restraints are ‘control and restraint’ (C&R) and Physical control in care (PCC). C&R is used in Young Offenders’ Institutions (YOIs) for boys aged between 15 and 18 and 17-year-old girls. It is designed for adults and is a pain compliant technique, which immobilizes the arms by employing joint locks using wrist flexion. It is designed for use by a minimum of three members of staff. Training is compulsory for the prison officers and refreshed at least annually by approved trainers. PCC is used in secure training centres (STCs) for boys and girls aged between 12 and 18, although older children are generally only placed there if they are assessed as vulnerable. It is designed by the Prison Service. It is described as non-pain compliant”. I agree that officers should weight out each situational differently when determining the amount of force that should and can be used based on the circumstances.
Parents need to start taking more responsibility and actually become more aware of the dangerous of certain things they allow their children to partake in and be around. Just like many violent video games, it consumed the child’s mind ultimately setting them up to hurt other innocent people. Law enforcement lives are just as precious as all others. Regardless if it a child or an adult they should always be prepared to handle any and all calls. In the end, you can never underestimate a juvenile. Juveniles now have less respect more than ever for police officers If the situation calls for use of force, I feel the officer will do what they feel is most appropriately and handle it accordingly. In Deuteronomy 31:6 it reads, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” If officers follow proper protocols as they encounter troubled juveniles, I feel God will make the best outcome out of tough situations.
Holy Bible (NIV), Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Bulman, P. (2001, March 3). Police Use of Force: The Impact of Less-Lethal Weapons and Tactics. Retrieved November 11, 2018, from https://www.nij.gov/journals/267/pages/use-of-force.aspx
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