Electric Shock Gloves in Omaha Schools: New Details Emerge
Recent revelations about the use of electric shock gloves by school resource officers in Omaha have sparked discussions among educators and the public. Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer and Mayor John Ewing addressed the situation on Monday, providing clarity on the incidents involving these gloves during the 2025-2026 school year.
The Omaha Police Department had previously confirmed two instances of glove deployment on students. On Monday, additional context was shared regarding these events. The first incident involved a trespassing student from another high school at Omaha South High School. According to officials, the glove was applied to the student’s wrist for “approximately two seconds” to detain him as he attempted to escape after “fighting with a security guard.”
The second reported use of the glove occurred at the district’s Integrated Learning Program, which is designed for students with social, emotional, behavioral, and learning challenges. In this case, the student made “verbal threats and threw a chair,” striking the school security guard in the head. The officer deployed the glove twice; the first application lasted about a second, while the second lasted two to three seconds.
In a joint statement, Schmaderer and Ewing emphasized the importance of innovations like G.L.O.V.E. for safety, stating, “We believe it is the safest use-of-force option in the rare times when it is used.” The gloves, known as Generated Low Output Voltage Emitters and produced by Compliant Technologies in Kentucky, are positioned as a “non-lethal and non-injurious” method to ensure compliance through pain.
The emergence of these details follows increased scrutiny after Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced plans to equip agents with the technology. Although electric shock gloves deliver less electricity than tasers, they apply electrical pulses directly to the skin, unlike tasers that send currents throughout the body.
Currently, 29 out of 34 school resource officers in the Omaha Police Department have been trained in using these gloves. These officers are placed across various districts, including Omaha, Elkhorn, Millard, and Westside. In Bellevue, both school resource officers and patrol officers are trained in glove use.
The release of this information comes ahead of anticipated public discourse during a Monday night meeting of the Omaha Public Schools Board and a Tuesday Omaha City Council meeting. The Omaha City Council had previously approved the purchase of the gloves without public input.
At least one board member expressed surprise upon learning of the gloves’ use within the district, indicating a lack of awareness until media coverage surfaced in mid-August. A spokesperson for Omaha Public Schools has directed all inquiries to the Omaha Police Department.
