1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

As your voting constituent, I am deeply disturbed to learn that electric shock gloves have been in use since 2023, including in Omaha, Nebraska schools(!!) — deployed by police on students, including one instance on a special needs child.(!!) At $1,650 per pair of gloves, we're funding torture instruments (with taxpayer money!!) that have already been used on children. As a state, we must do everything possible to protect our communities. PLEASE do everything you can to permanently ban these devices immediately and continue to push back on current and planned detention centers at the state level. While the devices are marketed as nonlethal and safe for the heart, a pending lawsuit alleges a 43-year-old man died in 2024 after he was shocked 27 times with the gloves and 13 more times by a Taser at a jail in Richmond, Kentucky. An internal investigation found two of the glove shocks lasted 45 and 99 seconds apiece — far more than the manufacturer's recommended 15-second limit. "These actions not only inflicted unnecessary pain but also heightened the risk of serious health complications," the Madison County Detention Center investigation found, according to court documents. An Associated Press review further found two other lawsuits alleging injuries from the gloves, including a man with heart problems who was shocked at a Las Vegas trade show and a defendant who said he was laughed at after he was unnecessarily shocked in court. Both cases have been dismissed but deserve much further scrutiny. New York Attorney General Letitia James set the right standard: "We are outraged," she said, warning that ICE officers who misuse the gloves could face criminal and civil consequences. Please follow her lead and adopt prosecution guidelines that hold any officer criminally and civilly liable for deploying these devices, any excessive force or illegal actions in our state. Law enforcement already carries guns, batons, tasers, handcuffs, tear gas, and OC spray — please block any expansion that adds electric shock gloves to their arsenal, especially in schools. These devices must NOT become normalized, funded or otherwise used. Full stop. Thank you kindly for your service and efforts as they are much appreciated. We the People look forward to seeing your thoughts and actions on these issues in preparation for future elections.