Omaha police to stop carrying shock gloves in schools
Omaha police have agreed not to carry shock gloves in the hallways of Nebraska’s largest school district. This came two days after, on August 18, Omaha Public Schools Superintendent Matthew Ray asked officers assigned to schools to stop using such devices.
The decision applies to most middle and high schools in Omaha. As The Guardian reports, Omaha police used the gloves twice during the 2025–2026 school year.
District response
At a school board meeting, about 30 people spoke out against the use of shock gloves, while no one voiced support for the practice. Omaha Central High School senior Nora Wessel said such devices could undermine students’ trust in officers working in schools.
Ray said the district recognizes the important role of law enforcement in maintaining safety, but continued use of the gloves would be counterproductive to cooperation. Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr. said city police had complied with the district’s decision. At the same time, officers will continue to carry stun guns, batons, pepper spray and firearms.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Use of the devices
Most of the 34 Omaha police officers assigned to schools received training and were able to use the gloves. According to police, before using the device, an officer had to warn the person and then maintain contact with them for up to 15 seconds while an electric charge was delivered. The glove is activated by a button and must directly touch the skin to cause pain and make a person stop resisting.
In one of the two cases during the 2025–2026 school year, the glove was used on a student from another school who tried to flee after an altercation with a security guard. In the second case, the device was used on a student at an integrated learning center for students with special educational needs. According to a police statement, he made verbal threats, threw a chair at a security guard, striking him in the head, and also punched him.
Bellevue suburban police, who patrol two Omaha schools, will continue to carry such gloves. Its chief, Ken Clary, called the devices a safe, effective and less harmful tool compared with alternatives. In 2025, Omaha police signed a contract to purchase 40 gloves for about $66,000.
