Nebraska Parents Challenge School Police Shock Gloves

Parents in the Omaha area are urging schools to prohibit police from carrying electric shock gloves, which deliver a painful jolt when touched to bare skin and have been used on students at least five times since 2022. Omaha police bought 40 pairs and trained school resource officers to use them; reported incidents included a fight at a high school and an encounter with a middle-school student in a special-needs program. Omaha Public Schools’ superintendent, who said he had not known officers were carrying the devices, banned them with the mayor’s support. The neighboring Millard district has chosen to keep the gloves, despite parents’ concerns that students fear being shocked. The dispute has intensified debate over whether such devices are appropriate for school officers, while critics point to the potential for severe pain and the manufacturer’s warning against use on small children.