Key facts
- Omaha police will stop carrying electric shock gloves in schools following a request from the superintendent.
- Bellevue police department, which patrols two Omaha schools, will continue to carry the gloves.
- Omaha Public Schools superintendent Matthew Ray requested the halt after learning about the devices.
- The gloves, known as 'generated low output voltage emitters,' have been used by some jails.
- Omaha police used the gloves twice in the 2025-26 school year, including on a student at a special education center.
- Bellevue police have used the gloves twice in previous years and consider them a safe and effective tool.
Omaha police have agreed to cease carrying electric shock gloves, known as 'generated low output voltage emitters,' in the halls of Nebraska's largest public school district following a request from Superintendent Matthew Ray. The decision, which affects most middle and high schools within Omaha Public Schools, came after the Associated Press reported on the plan to equip officers with the devices.
However, the suburban Bellevue police department, which patrols two Omaha schools and the larger Bellevue district, stated its officers will continue to carry the gloves. Three other large school districts in the metro area that have Omaha school resource officers assigned to their buildings have not yet taken action to stop police from using the devices.
Superintendent Ray expressed that he had only recently learned about the gloves, though emails indicate the Omaha district was aware of the plan in 2023, as Bellevue police already used them at two Omaha schools. The Omaha police department demonstrated the gloves' use, stating they help officers quickly gain control of individuals refusing commands. The department used the gloves twice during the 2025-26 school year, including on a student at a special education center. Bellevue police have also used them twice in prior years and consider them a safe and effective tool.
Community members and school board members voiced strong opposition to the use of shock gloves in schools, with one student describing them as creating a barrier to trusting school resource officers. A school safety consultant emphasized the need for careful discussion regarding the use of such technology, particularly concerning students with disabilities. Mayor John Ewing Jr. stated the department honored the school district's decision to 'opt out,' while Omaha police confirmed officers will continue to carry other standard equipment like stun guns and firearms.