The use of force in policing has long been one of the most complex and scrutinized aspects of the profession. Officers are often placed in rapidly evolving situations where they must make split-second decisions, balancing their duty to protect the public with the rights and safety of the individuals involved.
These decisions are rarely straightforward – what may begin as a routine interaction can escalate unexpectedly, requiring officers to assess the threat, evaluate available options and act decisively, all within moments.
It’s a challenge that Chief Adam Glueck at the Cape Girardeau Police Department in Missouri is no stranger to. With nearly 25 years of experience ranging from patrol officer and training coordinator to jail administrator and public information officer, he can safely say he’s just about seen it all.
While he’s tasked with keeping roughly 39,000 people who call Cape Girardeau home safe, he also manages daytime traffic through his jurisdiction, which often increases the daily population to nearly 100,000. That’s a lot of individuals Glueck and his staff may encounter, and each situation must be handled with an appropriate level of force.
“Our goal in law enforcement in every encounter is voluntary compliance,” he said. “The keyword there is ‘voluntary.’ You have a lot of people that do not want to comply for whatever reason – they could be suffering from a mental health crisis, they could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or they just simply don’t want to go to jail. As a chief, I have to consider that if force is going to happen in some capacity, are we equipping those officers with the best tools to safely do their jobs?”
Discovering an unexpected option
Glueck came across such a tool in 2022 while at a trainer conference in St. Louis, Missouri. With a deep background in defensive tactics, his interest was piqued when he saw a floor mat at one of the tradeshow booths. There, he met Jeff Niklaus, founder and CEO of Compliant Technologies, and was introduced to the G.L.O.V.E. via a live demonstration.
“That’s when I became a believer.”
The G.L.O.V.E., which stands for generated low output voltage emitter, is a compliance tool designed to subdue an individual within seconds without causing injury. It relies on positive and negative contacts on the glove’s palm, which, when applied to the skin, create an electric current that passes through the body’s surface layer.
Niklaus named the technology CD3, shorthand for Conductive Distraction and De-escalation Device, which uses a current so low that it does not burn the skin or pass through clothing, hair, metal or plastic. The G.L.O.V.E. is used by over 600 agencies across the United States and has a 95% first-grab success rate.
After the initial demonstration, Glueck signed up for a training class later the same day and subsequently ordered several pairs of G.L.O.V.E.s for use in both the department’s jail and patrol divisions.
Where the G.L.O.V.E. works
Glueck says his department’s use of the G.L.O.V.E. is unique as it works equally well in the jail as well as on the streets of Cape Girardeau. Officers typically use the G.L.O.V.E. when transitioning an inmate from one room or cell to another. He notes that other types of less-lethal tools have the potential of injury, whether it be from darts piercing the skin, burn marks or the chance of an inmate falling and hitting their head on the concrete floor. Since adopting the G.L.O.V.E., he says there have been zero reports of injury to suspects.
“Usually just one application of the G.L.O.V.E. is all it takes to get an inmate to move out of a certain area and we’ve seen a lot of success with that,” said Glueck. “When an officer walks into the room wearing them, inmates know their capabilities. I think we are able to gain compliance just from having an officer walk in the room wearing a pair.”
Patrol officers find the G.L.O.V.E. particularly useful when a suspect is lying face down in a prone position with their arms under their body. Since officers don’t always know if the suspect has something dangerous in their hands, it’s critical to get a suspect’s arms out from under them as quickly and safely as possible. However, that can be difficult and can sometimes lead to injury.
“The G.L.O.V.E. is a force multiplier when we use it in conjunction with other skills like defensive tactics,” explained Glueck. “If we are doing a technique like removing an arm out from under the body, the G.L.O.V.E. allows that technique to be more effective, especially if you’re talking about a smaller officer or a female officer that may not have that upper body strength.”
Uses for the tool extend even beyond compliance and safety, as Glueck notes one instance where the G.L.O.V.E. helped to preserve evidence that was later used in a conviction. A suspect was handcuffed and had drug paraphernalia in their pocket that was missed during the initial pat-down. The individual tried to retrieve the item from their pocket and smash it on the ground, but one application of the G.L.O.V.E. by the arresting officer stopped that from happening.
A flexible approach to compliance
As Cape Girardeau PD officers continue using the G.L.O.V.E., the scenarios where it works to quickly gain compliance only continue to increase.
“We have several officers here that have fully embraced the G.L.O.V.E. as a viable use of force option,” Glueck said. “I fear I would see a mutiny if our department were to end or prohibit the use of this technology.”
The department’s experience with the G.L.O.V.E. also highlights an important aspect of modern policing: adaptability. Tools that can serve multiple purposes across a range of environments offer agencies flexibility while reducing reliance on other methods.
No single device will work in every circumstance, yet having a spectrum of options increases the chances of resolving encounters without causing harm. This approach not only supports officer safety but also strengthens community confidence by showing the department is committed to solutions that prioritize voluntary compliance whenever possible.
“I think it’s probably one of the most versatile pieces of equipment we have,” said Glueck, “and I don’t think you can say that with some of the other use-of-force options we carry.”
Visit Compliant Technologies for more information.
