Applaud California for Moving to Ban Shock Gloves

California lawmakers are taking action against a controversial new law enforcement technology, sending Gov. Gavin Newsom legislation that would temporarily ban the use of electric shock gloves while the state studies their safety and impact on communities.

The measure comes amid reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement planned to use the devices. Assemblymember LaShae Sharp-Collins, who introduced the proposal, argued that potentially dangerous technology should be proven safe and accountable before officers are allowed to deploy it—not after someone is seriously injured.

The legislation would prohibit law enforcement agencies from using state funds to purchase shock gloves through 2030 and require the California Department of Justice to study their safety and community impacts. It would not prohibit other less-lethal tools already used by law enforcement, including tasers.

Supporters have raised concerns about the gloves’ potential health effects, including increases in heart rate, blood pressure, and adrenaline, as well as the possibility that immigrant communities and communities of color could disproportionately bear the risks of an untested technology.

Public safety should never mean treating vulnerable communities like test subjects. New law enforcement technology deserves careful, independent scrutiny before it is put into widespread use.

Add your name to applaud California lawmakers for moving to ban shock gloves, demanding rigorous safety standards for law enforcement technology, and protecting communities from potentially dangerous and untested devices.

(Photo Credit: Dylan Lovan/AP)