OLR Report 2015-R-0187 summarizes the current law governing police officers’ use of electronic defense weapons (EDWs).
By law, the State Police and local police departments that authorize their officers to use EDWs must document their use and annually, starting January 15, 2016, report the information to the Office of Policy and Management for posting on its website. The law also requires the (1) Police Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) to develop and promulgate a standardized form and model policy providing guidelines on EDW use, and (2) police departments authorizing use of EDWs to adopt and maintain a written policy meeting or exceeding POST’s model. The specific information and statistics that each report should include are outlined in Public Act 14-149.
POST adopted its model policy on December 22, 2014. Among other things, the model policy addresses how EDWs may be worn, how they may be deployed, and medical treatment for subjects on whom EDWs are used.
For additional information, read the full report.
