Newsom signs law banning electric shock gloves for all law enforcement in California
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed the first US state ban on electric shock gloves for law enforcement, weeks after ICE awarded a nearly $17m contract for 6,000 pairs.
California has become the first US state to ban electric shock gloves for law enforcement, after Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law on Tuesday barring local, state and federal officers from possessing or using the devices.
The ban, carried in Assembly Bill 2760, takes effect next year and remains in place through 2030. It arrives weeks after US Immigration and Customs Enforcement moved to equip its officers with the gloves: last month the agency awarded a contract worth nearly $17 million for 6,000 pairs designed to gain compliance from combative individuals.
Newsom signed nearly 20 bills on Tuesday covering police equipment, detention practices and civil rights, which his office framed as a response to expanded federal immigration enforcement in the state. “Trump has put his political interests above the health, safety and livelihood of American families,” Newsom said in a statement. “California is taking action to strengthen transparency, accountability, and oversight around immigration enforcement in our state.”
The legislation was introduced by Assemblymember LaShae Sharp-Collins, who said she wanted to “put a pause” on the devices while the state examines their potential risks. The law requires California’s Justice Department to study the gloves’ safety and report to lawmakers by 2029. “There’s a lot of unrest and a lot of uncertainty,” Sharp-Collins said. “A lot of people are scared.”
The Department of Homeland Security pushed back, saying immigration enforcement is “a clear federal responsibility” and that ICE equipment is reviewed to ensure it complies with law-enforcement policies. Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper said his department had spent about $35,000 on 10 pairs in August and trained deputies to use them, but none had been deployed on duty.
Sources
- Associated Press (via La Nacion): https://www.lanacion.com.ar/usa/new-california-law-bans-officers-from-using-gloves-that-deliver-electric-shocks-nid29092026/
- KION Central Coast: https://kioncentralcoast.com/news/2026/09/29/newsom-signs-california-ban-on-electric-shock-gloves-for-law-enforcement/
- Los Angeles Times (via Police1): https://www.police1.com/legal/calif-bans-face-coverings-shock-gloves-for-law-enforcement
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