(Picture credit Matt Johnson)
OMAHA — Following strong public backlash from Omaha activists, the Omaha Police Department and Omaha Mayor John Ewing offered all four of Omaha’s public school district superintendents an opt-out option for the use of electric shock gloves by school resource officers.
The Compliant Technologies product, Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, was billed as a safer, more practical option than standard-issue police tasers. In addition to allowing officers the full use of their hands, it emits a much weaker electric pulse, reducing risk to detainees. According to OPD Chief of Police Todd Schmaderer, SRO’s are trained to carry the pain compliance tool as a “discreet, de-escalation option.”
However, the news that SROs carried electric shock gloves came as news to OPS and Omaha residents after an NPR report from last week that showed OPD has purchased these same gloves now used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement specifically for use in schools. Public outcry erupted immediately, and on Monday night, the Omaha Public Schools Board of Education meeting hosted two hours of public comments on the matter.
Accusations against OPD school resource officers’ use of the gloves included allegations of poor training, weakness, racism, and fascism, among others.
“Your job is not supposed to be easy; if you lack de-escalation skills, communication skills, and the ability to regulate yourselves in the context of schools, you do not belong there,” said one woman who directed her comments to OPD specifically.
“These Klansmen are hired onto our local forces – they love these jobs. And now weaponized electrical tools are being turned on our children and our immigrant brothers and sisters,” said another attendee. “Learn how to de-escalate, be an adult, and if you’re scared as an adult in this job field working with kids, you might need to hit the gym. Your physical standards are a joke and you’re soft.”
OPD and Mayor Ewing had issues a joint statement on Monday regarding the protocols for usage and the two instances when the gloves were actually used. In both instances, students were subdued that had violently attacked security guards. The fact that the students were violent did little to quell the outrage against Omaha public officials.
Some Monday night speakers from the 29-person lineup worried that police wanted the tool for purposes of abuse.
“They don’t leave a trace when you use them, which is attractive to police officers who want to avoid liability lawsuits for excessive use of force,” said one woman. “We’re relying on people who are seeking out a product which will help them get away from liability lawsuits.”
Many other speakers took issue with the use of force in general, and some expressing a hope that the district would eliminate SROs entirely.
“I think we need to be rid of our contract with OPD period,” said one man. “Like why are we having a contract with a fascist organization that has constantly over the past 100+ years proven themselves to be nothing more than a white supremacist cult?... I don’t want to hear what OPD has to say, they are going to lie.”
After Monday’s public outcry, OPS superintendent Matthew Ray’s requested SROs be disallowed from carrying electric shock gloves in OPS schools. Omaha Mayor John Ewing confirmed that he’d allowed OPS to opt out.
“On Monday, we reached out to all four Omaha public school district superintendents to discuss the use of this technology, noting that officers have a variety of tools and the GLOVE had been the least impactful. OPS was given the option to opt out, and we honored that,” he said.
Police Chief Schmaderer also addressed the matter in dual statements:
“I’m proud of the work our School Resource Officers have done, and I’m confident the administration and principals feel the same way. Unfortunately, some have made erroneous assumptions about the work we do. We have a great working relationship with Omaha Public Schools, and they are a wonderful partner to the Omaha Police Department,” he said in one.
Addressing the specific objections to G.L.O.V.E. technology in his other statement, he asserted that OPD school resource officers would lose the gloves if OPS asked them to, but so long as they were Omaha Police, they would carry use of force tools.
“If Omaha Public Schools requests that our officers not utilize this tool, we will adhere to that request. However, OPD officers will forever carry standard-issued equipment, including tasers, OC spray, batons, and firearms, to ensure the protection of others and themselves.”
— Lewis Thune is a writing fellow with The Plains Sentinel.