Weapons, Personal Protection Equipment, And Use Of Force

Weapons, Personal Protection Equipment, and Use of Force

AJS/585
January 27, 2014
Richard Sapp
Weapons, Personal Protection Equipment, and Use of Force
Introduction
Aspects of physical and personal security are all around, from trips out of the country, to the mailbox, or even to the courthouse. Physical and personal security is one of the most debated safety concerns affecting numerous places and facilities. Developing a cohesive security plan requires awareness, education/training, identifying potential threats and creating countermeasures. Procedures, needs, and standards of physical and personal security change daily, and some may not even be noticeable to common society. With events, such as September 11th police agencies
Most of the known personal protection equipment is worn by military and police officers but it is not uncommon to own items such as bullet proof vests. There are various forms of protection equipment available such as: armored vehicles, gas masks, and firearms. Protective equipment such as gas masks, perimeter fences, and bullet proof vests are more common. Each piece of equipment protects a part of the body. Proper use of the equipment listed could mean the difference in life or death and should be used with the proper education. Gas masks, according to Katz and Caspi, “Gas masks and escape hoods are indispensable kinds of protective equipment that are the only means of countering an attack using gas or biological weapons” (2003). Not only do the masks protect from gaseous fumes and filter air for small children. Katz and Caspi discuss: Perimeter Security Systems, Intrusion Detection and Monitoring Systems as means of personal protection equipment. Some reliable forms of perimeter security include, fences that combat climb overs, underground ditches, and cut troughs. There are also fences with built in sensors that provide the local authorities of a security breach. This form of equipment relies on the connection between camera monitors and computer systems and software. Bullet proof vests only protect if the right vest is worn. This is true even when worn by professionals.
It states in Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
“No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks” (Morsink, 1999).
Understanding the law is very important when assessing the use of force for personal protection. In the case of People v. McManus it was stated that “Defense of oneself or one 's relations, deemed a natural, inalienable right at common law, justified the use of force, making even homicide lawful” (People, 1986). If one is unsure of the local law in relation to force they should leave it to the authorities. Self-defense of one’s self against an attack
Conclusion
. This paper will addressed the use of weapons, personal protection equipment, and force related to physical and personal security. When addressing personal protection is it important to identify what you are comfortable with. Having options that you can be confident about allows one to better prepare them to be ready for most situations. One topic this paper didn’t cover was international protection. Most of the practices mentioned can be altered to accommodate travel