# Police prioritizing their own personal safety over that of the public **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 16, 2026, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-prioritizing-their-own-personal-safety-over-that-of-the-public/1033900 "2026-10-16T20:24:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2026, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-prioritizing-their-own-personal-safety-over-that-of-the-public/1033900/221 "2026-10-23T01:58:37Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > No, I’m just wondering why clubbing someone is still sometimes considered an appropriate method of subduing them. It’s less lethal. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2026, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-prioritizing-their-own-personal-safety-over-that-of-the-public/1033900/222 "2026-10-23T02:31:05Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > On the force continum scale the baton is listed ahead of the Taser and OC (pepper spray) and behind firearm. It is NOT used to “club” people, the target area being the back of the knee and elbows. I personally have no real issue with a police baton being used in this manner, along with its other uses noted in @Czarcasm’s [post](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-prioritizing-their-own-personal-safety-over-that-of-the-public/1033900/214) above. It’s certainly better than shooting them to death. > [@Magiver](#): > > > [@Lumpy](#): > > > > No, I’m just wondering why clubbing someone is still sometimes considered an appropriate method of subduing them. > > It’s less lethal. But although it may be less lethal than a firearm, I nevertheless do take issue with police officers using a baton to club someone into submission, especially blows to the head or kneecaps. No civilized society should allow its law enforcement agents to club people into submission with blows to the head or to cripple them. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2026, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-prioritizing-their-own-personal-safety-over-that-of-the-public/1033900/223 "2026-10-23T02:37:41Z")
> [@robby](#): > > But although it may be less lethal than a firearm, I nevertheless do take issue with police officers using a baton to club someone into submission, especially blows to the head or kneecaps. No civilized society should allow its law enforcement agents to club people into submission with blows to the head or to cripple them. The head and knee caps are not the trained target area of the baton. It’s behind the knee and elbow but never the head nor back of the neck. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2026, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-prioritizing-their-own-personal-safety-over-that-of-the-public/1033900/224 "2026-10-23T02:44:58Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > The head and knee caps are not the trained target area of the baton. It’s behind the knee and elbow but never the head nor back of the neck. Right, I acknowledged and quoted you saying that in my post. That’s commendable. My point was that any police officer that nevertheless clubs someone over the head or breaks their kneecaps in contravention of their training should be fired and face criminal charges for assault. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2026, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-prioritizing-their-own-personal-safety-over-that-of-the-public/1033900/225 "2026-10-23T06:03:50Z")
> [@robby](#): > > My point was that any police officer that nevertheless clubs someone over the head or breaks their kneecaps in contravention of their training should be fired and face criminal charges for assault And they probably would. Intentionally striking someone on the head with a baton would be lethal force. Unless, of course, lethal force suddenly became justified during the encounter. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2026, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-prioritizing-their-own-personal-safety-over-that-of-the-public/1033900/226 "2026-10-23T23:55:43Z")
I think an additional factor is that while autoworkers, steelworkers, and coal miners are also essential (and had strong unions which eventually gave consessions) outsourcing domestic law enforcement overseas is not an option. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-prioritizing-their-own-personal-safety-over-that-of-the-public/1033900.md?page=11)