ICE plans to equip officers with gloves that deliver ‘bee sting’ electric shocks

WASHINGTON, DC: Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers could soon have a very unusual tool on their hands: gloves capable of delivering a painful electric shock to people who resist them.

ICE plans to spend up to $20 million on thousands of the devices, described by the Department of Homeland Security as “conductive distraction and de-escalation devices.” A notice published Monday said the agency wants to purchase them for officers and agents by March.

The devices, known as GLOVE, or Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, are made by Compliant Technologies LLC in Lexington, Kentucky, and have already been used by some jails and police departments.

How ICE’s electric-shock gloves are supposed to work

The gloves are designed to look and function like regular patrol gloves until an officer activates their electrical mode using a switch.

As per the manufacturer, the gloves need to make direct contact with a person’s skin to deliver the electrical stimulus.

The company says the pain response can help an officer gain compliance within seconds.

John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, has been studying how the devices are used and described the sensation in unusually simple terms.

“It’s immediate and sharp, and it will distract you. I call it like a bee sting,” Peters said. “If the officer is getting any type of resistance from the person, this is certainly an effective tool.”

Peters said he believes the ICE purchase could be the largest order the company has received so far.

He said he could see officers using the gloves when dealing with uncooperative people during arrests, including when removing them from vehicles or houses and moving them into or out of detention facilities.

Supporters see a faster way to end physical confrontations

Peters also argued that the technology could be particularly useful for officers who may have difficulty physically overpowering someone.

“For smaller officers or weaker officers or older officers, I think it has a great advantage,” he said, arguing that the device could lead to faster takedowns and shorter confrontations. Supporters also point out that the gloves are generally intended for specific situations involving physical resistance rather than routine street patrols.

According to Compliant Technologies, the devices have been used to subdue violent suspects refusing to get into police vehicles and inmates who are harming themselves or threatening officers.

The manufacturer also says officers cannot simply start using the technology without training. Users must complete a course and be recertified every two years.

ICE faces questions over how the gloves could be used

The planned purchase is also raising concerns about how easily the devices could be misused during encounters.

The manufacturer warns that the gloves should not be used as punishment or against people who are only being verbally defiant or belligerent. It also warns against using them on high-risk groups, including children, pregnant women, elderly people and people with disabilities.

Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, deputy project director on policing at the American Civil Liberties Union, questioned why the devices would be needed for civil immigration enforcement in the first place.

She also raised concerns that people could be shocked without knowing what was happening.

“ICE spent the last year showing this country they are too quick to use force. Now they will be able to deploy electric shocks with the slight push of a button that maybe nobody else can see them do,” Borchetta said. “Introducing gloves that can so easily be used to deliver terrible pain in encounters is a recipe for harm to the public.”

The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday, Aug 11, that it was working on a response to an Associated Press inquiry but did not immediately provide a comment.

Jeff Niklaus, founder and CEO of Compliant Technologies, also declined to discuss the planned purchase, writing in an email, “Unfortunately, we are unable to speak on this subject.”