The stronger, the better? A natural experiment on the effects of pepper spray concentration levels
Policing: An International Journal
ISSN: 1363-951X
Article publication date: 5 November 2020
Issue publication date: 25 January 2021
Abstract
Purpose
Oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray has proven to be a relatively effective tool to subdue resistant or aggressive subjects without causing major and permanent injuries. Several products are available to law enforcement organizations and sprays with higher concentrations are sold as more effective, despite the lack of empirical evidence. This article aims to test the proposition that more concentrated OC sprays are more effective in a policing context.
Design/methodology/approach
To test this proposition, retrospective data on police interventions that had occurred (N = 1,019) were used. Concentrations were divided in three levels: level 1 sprays (containing up to 0.49% of major capsaicinoids), level 2 sprays (from 0.5% to 0.99%) and level 3 sprays (between 1 and 1.33%). Propensity scores were calculated to estimate the average effect of concentration level on effectiveness, while controlling for confounding factors.
Findings
Level 1 and level 2 sprays were found to be similar in terms of effectiveness, but level 3 sprays were found to be more likely to have an immediate effect but were also related to higher chances that decontamination was needed after use.
Originality/value
While several studies of the effectiveness of OC spray in general have been conducted in the past, this is one of the few to differentiate types of OC sprays according to their concentration level. As such, it aims to provide guidance to police organizations who must choose among a variety of products.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Gabrielle Dufour for her help during the codification phase, Véronique Chadillon-Farinacci and Rasmus Munksgaard for their assistance with R, Joel Suss for providing relevant references and Joan McGilvray for her careful editing.
Citation
Boivin, R. and Tanguay, C. (2021), "The stronger, the better? A natural experiment on the effects of pepper spray concentration levels", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 44 No. 1, pp. 106-117. https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-07-2020-0122
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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