OMAHA, Neb. — School resource officers at 29 Omaha-area schools have access to gloves that deliver an electric shock and are intended to gain compliance from resistive individuals, according to the Omaha Police Department.
The OPD demonstrated the G.L.O.V.E. devices during an Aug. 14 news conference, WOWT reported. The department said it purchased the gloves to provide SROs with a less-lethal option that uses a lower level of force than a TASER or pepper spray.
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Officer Jason Cvitanov of OPD’s training unit said the gloves are intended for use after officers have attempted de-escalation and issued verbal commands.
The devices were purchased by the department in 2025 and deployed in the 2025-26 school year, and will be used in multiple Omaha-area middle- and high schools during the 2027-28 school year, according to WOWT.
“When you have a resistive subject who is unwilling to cooperate or follow commands, whether it’s from school administrators, a teacher, or the officer that’s involved in this situation, we want to ensure that we keep the environment safe. And if force is required to gain control, that we use just enough force to accomplish that task,” Officer Jason Cvitanov of OPD’s training unit told WOWT.
During the 2025-2026 school year, the G.L.O.V.E was used in two incidents by two different SROs, WOWT reported.
“What we’ve seen thus far is immediate compliance,” Cvitanov said. “That’s a benefit to everyone involved, because it is such a low level of force being utilized by officers, which is the goal in every situation, gaining control, using just enough force to accomplish that task. And this would be after de-escalation attempts as well as verbal commands being provided.”
G.L.O.V.E. gained national attention when the Department of Homeland Security announced it was purchasing the devices for ICE officers.
“When considering equipment for our School Resource Officers, we wanted a less-lethal option that would use a lower level of force than tools such as a TASER or pepper spray, recognizing the unique environment of a school and the importance of maintaining a safe learning environment for students and staff,” the Omaha Police Department said in a statement provided to WOWT.
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