By McKenna Horsley
Kentucky Lantern
Federal immigration agents may soon be outfitted with a device – electrical shock gloves – manufactured by a Kentucky company.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security plans to spend between $10 million to $20 million on a device from (Lexington) Kentucky-based Compliant Technologies, according to a recent notice. The Associated Press first reported about the upcoming no-bid contract.
The devices the department is seeking are called “G.L.O.V.E,” which stands for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter. One review says the products “quickly and safely allow an officer to overcome the resistance of a non-compliant subject.”
“While every situation presents its own unique challenges, the G.L.O.V.E has led to an exponential increase in safety outcomes,” another review says. “Notably, in several instances, its mere presence was enough to de-escalate conflict without the need for force.”
A DHS spokesperson said in a statement to the Lantern that ICE is “constantly assessing the needs of our officers in the field to ensure they have the tools and equipment necessary to safely arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens from our country.”
“Every decision is made with careful consideration and appropriately reviewed to ensure that any technology ICE utilizes is consistent with all applicable law enforcement policies and standards,” the spokesperson said.
Representatives of another central Kentucky company that provides training for the G.L.O.V.E., APB Consulting Solutions, demonstrated the G.L.O.V.E. last week for Kentucky lawmakers on the Judiciary Committee. A presentation said the product is used by various law enforcement groups, including sheriff and police departments, hospital security, juvenile detention centers, and military and federal agencies
Rep. T.J. Roberts, R-Burlington, was shocked by a G.L.O.V.E. during the demonstration. He told the Lantern that it “didn’t hurt that bad,” and he’s felt more pain “from minor gunsmithing accidents.”
“Realistically, what it did is it just redirected my mind to the sensation I was feeling in my arm, to where I wasn’t even thinking of not complying or resisting,” he said.
Roberts added that he had “no problem with ICE using this,” and added that the company has said “they don’t sell it to agencies until they’ve done the training protocol on how to properly use the device.”
“I don’t think there would be much newsworthiness about this if it were any other government agency that has law enforcement capability,” he said. “This is a good tool that I don’t think anyone can really object to.”
Erin Petrey, a former congressional candidate and progressive advocate from Lexington, said she loves “ supporting local businesses, but not like this.” She is also concerned about how ICE agents would use the device.
“We’ve already seen that ICE agents are undertrained. They are trigger-happy,” she said. “We’re seeing a significant amount of abuses of power, and giving another way for these undertrained, overarmed agents to terrorize our communities is disturbing to say the least.”
Petrey said that while the device has been described as “not lethal,” she has concerns that “it will be deployed and utilized much more freely because they’re like, ‘Oh, it’s not that bad.’”
“Anyone who’s using this will just feel more emboldened as a way to control people and hurt people in our community,” she added.
The DHS spokesperson said its “officers are highly trained in de-escalation tactics and regularly receive ongoing use of force training,” and referred to the latest use of force policy for ICE, which was issued in 2023.
Eric King, a spokesperson for the ACLU 0f Kentucky, said in a statement the organization is “deeply concerned” about the plans to “provide ICE agents with another tool capable of inflicting pain on people in their custody or during enforcement encounters.”
“Before expanding ICE’s arsenal, the federal government should be demonstrating that existing safeguards, use-of-force policies and accountability mechanisms are meaningful and effective. We have seen little reason for the public to have that confidence,” King said. “Our concern is not where this product is manufactured or what other Kentucky companies may choose to do in the future. Our concern is whether an agency exercising extraordinary power over people’s freedom and safety should be given increasingly coercive tools without corresponding transparency, oversight and accountability.”
A representative for Compliant Technologies declined to comment Wednesday.
Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Linda Blackford for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com.