As ongoing public controversy over police tactics shapes the conversation over use of force, it should come as no surprise to anyone in the law enforcement community that less-lethal weapons are an important part of the discussion.

“There’s a higher level of transparency expected than ever before,” said Glenn Katz, executive vice president of global sales for PepperBall, a California manufacturer. “That has made products that are lower in the force spectrum more popular. All products on the force spectrum have their place, but now people want more less-lethal options.”¹

Of course, the most widely recognized technology in the less-lethal field is the Taser (a conducted energy device), but that one tool just scratches the surface of a wide and varied spectrum of possibilities.

According to the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), there are seven types of less-lethal devices: conducted energy devices like the Taser, directed energy devices, chemicals such as pepper spray, distractions including lights and noise, vehicle-stopping technologies, barriers, and blunt force devices.²

NIJ data from 2011 reveals that the use of physical force (e.g., fists and feet) increased the likelihood of injury to both officers and suspects. However, using pepper spray and conducted energy devices decreased the chances of a suspect injury by 65 and 70 percent, respectively.³

Departments may purchase products that fall under one or more of the seven categories, depending on their circumstances. Regardless of a department’s individual plan, interest in less-lethal weapons is growing.

“The [less-lethal] concept is not new, but it is proliferating today across law enforcement,” said Dave DuBay, vice president of Less Lethal for the Safariland Group, a large equipment designer and manufacturer based in Jacksonville, Florida. “It lawfully, and in a [less-lethal] manner, brings order to an otherwise chaotic event.”⁴

Crowd Control

The use of less-lethal products is often associated with events involving larger crowds, such as sporting events or protests. In an era of increasing accountability and transparency, managing large groups can require officers to consider options that can preserve the safety of members of the crowd and the officers themselves.

“People don’t always love us,” said Mike O’Reilly, an active law enforcement officer and co-owner of Blue Line Consultants, a Naples, Florida, firm. “It’s more important than ever for us to have options that reflect that.”⁵

One of the most common and effective classes of devices within the less-lethal designation are distraction devices. Noise flash diversionary or “flashbang” devices are among the most popular of these devices.

A new brand of flashbang already released in Europe is now preparing for its U.S. debut. The line was developed in the United Kingdom by Thomas Lowe Defense (TLD). When Florida-based AMTEC-ALS Less Lethal Systems saw the product’s out-of-the-gate popularity, it acquired TLD. What makes the line of products unique, according to Don Whitson, law enforcement channel manager with AMTEC-ALS, is the fact that every TLD Flashbang uses “commercially available explosive products as the primary charge for the devices.”⁶

The flagship TLD Flashbang has a host of applications, thanks in part to the user’s ability to easily string together and control the devices.

“Once assembled, the device is used like any other flashbang, except the charge comes in various delay elements from zero to 2.5 seconds,” Whitson explained. “Another flashbang can be attached to the bottom without a second fuse, so the operator has a multi-bang configuration. The device can add as many additional flashbangs in a daisy chain as required… The device can be loaded with multiple delay charges, making it very unpredictable to the suspect.”⁷

The TLD Flashbang is also available at a lower cost of around $11 per shot, compared to similar devices that cost between $42 and $55 per shot, Whitson said.⁸

Distraction devices are fairly common as less-lethal options, but when it comes to explosives, the right know-how may not be so widespread. That’s why Blue Line Consultants offers education on the regulations from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that govern devices such as the company’s BangBox magazine, a steel and powder-coated box that holds two full-size smoke or gas explosive devices.

“These are regulated explosive devices,” O’Reilly said. “You can’t just throw all the SWAT gear in the back of the vehicle. If they check and you’re not compliant, you could get… the explosives taken away.”⁹

Customer service is a big selling point, particularly if a given department is looking to explore the field more deeply than was typical in previous years. This is the case at 911 Outfitters, LLC, an Oklahoma-based online retailer of various law enforcement products, including less-lethal weapons.

“We actually have master certification trainers on staff,” said Bryon Brown, CEO of 911 Outfitters. “They buy it, we deliver it, and we train them. We’re a one-stop shop… The longest you have to wait for training is 24 hours. With other places, you have to wait two to three weeks. We have enough stock that we can train you even before you get the product. We have dedicated people for this.”¹⁰

Individual Engagement

Defense Technology is the Ford Motor Company of the less-lethal field. That’s according to DuBay, who noted that the Safariland subsidiary began just after World War I.¹¹

Still, with demand growing, Defense Technology is a modern company with modern products to offer. In the less-lethal field, the company offers products that provide their users with precision in high-stakes situations. For example, the provider’s 40mm Tactical 4-Shot Launcher is designed to engage the individual while remaining flexible enough to help officers handle larger groups as well.

“Budgets are tight, and people have to pay for training as well as the product, so we designed it with that in mind,” DuBay said. “How do we make an innovative product affordable?”¹² In the case of the new launcher, the answer is weight. Defense Technology removed two cylinders from a typical model, bringing what is often a 13-pound item down to approximately 9 pounds. The cost went down, too, from approximately $3,000 for competitor models to the launcher’s price point of $1,899.

Another option in the field is munitions with a less-lethal effect than traditional bullets, such as the Multiple Impact Bullet or MIB manufactured by AMTEC-ALS.

“The lethal bullet has been replaced with a thermal-activated polymer material that hardens in cold weather and softens in hot weather [to adjust to varying clothing worn by the suspects],” Whitson said. “The round is fired from a 12 gauge shotgun or a 40mm firearm… When it strikes, it creates similar blunt force trauma and pain [as a traditional bullet], but at lower imparted energy levels.”¹³

Some innovative new products are built to handle both large-scale and one-on-one situations in a less-lethal manner. PepperBall, based on paintball gun technology, now offers the VKS launcher, which allows the user to easily switch between an individual “hopper” mode and a faster “magazine” mode.

“You have the flexibility with use of force,” Katz said. “You can even just shoot the ground in front of the person, and it will waft up without a kinetic impact.”¹⁴

The launcher, which is accurate to a distance of 60 feet, immediately incapacitates any suspect, but it does so with a force much lower than that of similar less-lethal projectile-firing products. According to Katz, while a 40mm less-lethal gun hits a target with about 100 joules of force, the VKS makes an impact with about 13–30 joules of force. On impact, the PepperBall releases powdered capsaicin or another irritant, allowing it to affect more than just a single person.

As agencies examine their use-of-force policies, some may seek to give their officers more options via innovative less-lethal devices. The good news is that various types of less-lethal tools exist for the agencies and officers that may need them. ♦

Notes:

¹Glenn Katz (executive vice president, global sales, PepperBall), telephone interview, September 12, 2016.
²National Institute of Justice, “Types of Less-Lethal Devices,” http://www.nij.gov/topics/technology/less-lethal/pages/types.aspx (accessed September 14, 2015).
³Philip Bulman, “Police Use of Force: The Impact of Less-Lethal Weapons and Tactics,” NIJ Journal 267 (Winter 2010), http://www.nij.gov/journals/267/pages/use-of-force.aspx (accessed September 14, 2016).
⁴Dave DuBay (vice president, less lethal, The Safariland Group), telephone interview, September 15, 2016.
⁵Mike O’Reilly (co-owner, Blue Line Consultants), telephone interview, September 13, 2016.
⁶Don Whitson (manager, law enforcement channel, AMTEC-ALS), email interview, September 12, 2016.
⁷Ibid.
⁸Ibid.
⁹O’Reilly, telephone interview, September 13, 2016.
¹⁰Bryon Brown (CEO, 911 Outfitters, LLC), telephone interview, September 13, 2016.
¹¹DuBay, telephone interview, September 15, 2016.
¹²Ibid.
¹³Whitson, email interview, September 12, 2016.
¹⁴Katz, telephone interview, September 12, 2016.