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Thousands of YouTube viewers watched as a student at the University of Florida was Tasered when he refused to leave the stage after his allotted time for questions had passed.
Andrew Meyer, the student, was videotaped asking John Kerry questions. After his allotted time had elapsed, he refused to follow police instructions, resulting in the application of force via equipment and physical restraint.
This incident quickly spread across campuses nationwide, causing an outcry of concern over the use of force by campus police. The University of Maine was no exception to the rule.
UMaine Public Safety officers do not carry Tasers. They use alternative equipment, and a continuum of force policy. On campus, officers are equipped with: pepper-spray, a baton, firearms and knowledge of hand-holds.
“Officers are taught to start with verbal commands,” Lieutenant Paul Paradis said, “then to move along the continuum.”
This is a commonly used idea, employed by law enforcement across the country. By applying the continuum, the officers are safeguarded against the possible complaint of excessive force in most cases.
“If it becomes necessary, the officer can jump steps and move up the scale,” Lt. Paradis said, “so as to meet force with force.”
The ability to access upper levels of force allows the officers involved in a situation to react appropriately to the incident, instead of being restrained by protocol. The Public Safety policy, however, is geared at the aims of preventing issues before they reach the state of force, in hopes of securing voluntary compliance.
The University of Maine has a mandate which pushes campus police to use as little force as required to control a situation.
“I guess the police respond like they should,” Savannah Cleaves, a senior at the university said.
Public Safety at the University of Maine is equipped to handle a variety of situations in which they may be required to issue anything from verbal commands to lethal force, but they’re overarching goal is the safety of the students. They are in hopes of preventing situations, rather than reacting through force.
