Public Safety
California law pauses police use of electric-shock gloves
AB 2760 bars local, state and federal officers from using wearable electroshock devices in California while the state studies their safety and community effects.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2760 on September 29, temporarily banning law-enforcement agencies—including federal agencies operating in the state—from using wearable devices designed to incapacitate a person through an electric shock, the Associated Press reported. The prohibition takes effect in 2027 and remains in place through 2029.
What it means locally
The measure directs the California Department of Justice to study the safety and community effects of wearable electroshock devices and report its findings and recommendations to lawmakers by January 1, 2029. The legislation followed a federal contract to purchase 6,000 pairs of shock gloves for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. California law-enforcement groups opposed the ban, while the bill’s author, San Diego Assemblymember LaShae Sharp-Collins, said the pause would allow the state to assess an emerging use-of-force technology. Legal experts told the Associated Press that applying the state restriction to federal officers could face a constitutional challenge. The accompanying photograph shows the California State Capitol in September 2012; it is archival and does not depict the bill signing, the devices or their use.
Full report and further details: Read original report →