Use of Force

Use of force refers to any physical action or threat of action used by an officer to gain control of a situation. This ranges from verbal commands all the way to lethal force.

In North PD, proportionality, necessity, and justification are key principles. Every decision you make should be:

• Reasonable for the situation

• Clearly justified in roleplay

• Reported properly.
  
  

Use of force must escalate appropriately. Below is a simplified model:

1. Officer Presence – Simply arriving on scene

2. Verbal Commands – Clear, lawful orders

3. Soft Control – Handcuffing, guiding, low-level restraint

4. Hard Control – Taser, baton (non-lethal force)

5. Lethal Force – Only used in situations of immediate danger to life
   
   

❗ Deadly force is always a last resort and must be followed by a detailed after-action report.

Use of force is not your first move — de-escalation is.

Best Practices for De-escalation:

• Stay calm and use a steady tone

• Give clear instructions — repeat if needed

• Avoid crowding or “stacking” officers on one suspect

• Ask questions — find out what’s going on

• Offer outcomes — let them know what will happen next
  
  

🗣 Example:
“Listen, I don’t want this to escalate. I just need you to put your hands up so we can talk. Nobody wants to see you get hurt — including me.”

If a firearm is drawn:

• You must announce it over radio (e.g., "Suspects have weapons at postcode [___]"

• You must warn the suspect (unless there is no time)

• You must justify it with clear reasoning if asked
  
  

💬 “I drew my firearm because the suspect had already discharged their weapon.”