尽管酷刑和其他虐待行为可能借助任何物品实施，但各国官员往往使用专用装备。某些装备本质上具有侵害性，执法人员绝不应使用。另一些执法装备虽可在符合人权要求的警务工作中发挥正当作用，却常被以侵犯人权的方式使用，包括用于实施酷刑和其他虐待行为。
While acts of torture and other ill-treatment can be committed using any number of items, it is often the case that State officials use specialist equipment. Some equipment is inherently abusive and should never be used by law enforcement officers. Other law enforcement equipment may have a legitimate role in human rights-compliant policing, but is often used in a way that violates human rights, including being used in acts of torture and other ill-treatment.