Definition of Use of Force Great discretion is given in police work. Discretion holds great power, and within that power is the ability to take someone's life. Police officers may take their own lives if there is danger to themselves, the surrounding community and depending on the severity of the situation. All three circumstances are continuously calculated by the police officer. Police are trained to address use of force and deadly force through the one-plus-one method. The method tells officers that in all situations their intensity must be one step ahead of the suspect. Intensity can come through vocal presence or maintaining a higher degree of physicality. All of this can be presented through what is called the strength continuum. Use of Force and Continuum of Force When police are dealing with hostile individuals, they must display strength and composure while confronting the suspect. To help guide the officer in a hostile situation, he or she is trained to use the continuum of force. The continuum guides officers in their response to difficult people, holds them to an ethical standard. The continuum not only helps officers assess where they should be during escalation, but also de-escalation of suspicion. When an officer reduces the intensity of the suspect, the officer must also reduce his intensity, but all the while maintaining that one-plus-one advantage over the suspect. The primary variable used to determine where the officer should be on the continuum is resistance versus control. Control must always be greater than resistance otherwise the officer puts himself in physical danger. All of this is taught in the police academy... middle of the paper... plus volunteering and various agencies implementing community policing. For the more tech-savvy agencies, public relations has uploaded videos and stories of police men and women performing admirable and heroic acts for the community to social media. Law enforcement agencies across the nation are examining less-lethal weapons alternatives for use in hostile situations. The Future of Use of Force and Less-Lethal Weapons With growing public outcry over police authority to use lethal force, more agencies are researching and obtaining new less-lethal weapons to take care of hostile suspects. Weapons that would commonly be characterized as less lethal would be pepper spray and conductive electronic device (CED) or taser. Agencies using less lethal weapons are seeing declines in incident-related injuries to both suspects and officers.