What do Force Guidelines provide?

• A. A historical record of force incidents.
• B. A framework for making decisions involving the reasonable use of force by criminal justice officers.
• C. A prohibition on all force in every encounter.
• D. An internal memo with no practical effect.

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that Force Guidelines provide a framework for making decisions about the reasonable use of force by criminal justice officers. They guide you to assess whether force is necessary, proportional, and appropriate to the situation, taking into account factors like immediacy of threat, level of resistance, potential for de-escalation, and available alternatives. This framework supports consistent training, policy development, and accountability by outlining what is acceptable, how to document justification, and when to pause or use less or different methods as circumstances evolve. They’re practical and actionable in the field, not just a historical record, not a blanket prohibition on all force, and not a meaningless memo.