Sales To The Public

One could bet that if an item has been put into production, you can find it somewhere on the internet or through your local shopping centers. EBay, Craig list, or browser searchers can uncover a large amount of products for sale. Consumers can purchase most, if not all of the weapons used by local law enforcement agencies from the world wide web. Mace pepper guns, stun batons, and stun guns are only a few of many less lethal weapons one can purchase from the web site worthprotectionsecurity.com.

You may be asking yourself, what is the issue with having these items in the hands of the public. In the hands of an average citizen, there is nothing wrong. But once you put them in the hands of a criminal, the table turns around. How much easier would it be to rob an innocent bystander or hold someone hostage if you had a weapon that could incapacitate their movement? And what if someone decides to use the very same weapons against those who use them to control people, such as the police. Police do not have protection at their everyday disposal to shield themselves from attacks by a less lethal weapon. There are endless possibilities how one could use less lethal weapons to their advantage with criminal activities because of sales to the public.


Taser sales to public worry officers

Hope for Less Lethal Weapons

My hopes for the future, by means of less lethal weapons, is that our technology becomes more advanced, our weapons become more efficient, but further most, that our technology does not fall into the wrong hands to be used for illegal purposes. Needless to say, less lethal weapons technology can and will be used for many purposes that are not proactive.

Technology has come a far way from the first less lethal technology of the batons or night stick of the early 1900’s. The turn of technology has advanced through the realms of personal protection by way of sprays to combative weapons that can take out an entire groups of individuals with the push of a button. US military has already began to intertwine less lethal technology into its use in field work. And its only a matter of time until other combative nations do the same. Unfortunately, other nations will only foresee the astronomical impact less lethal weapons technology could have on future eradication of human life, by turning its practical sense of less lethal, to a deadly reality.

Silent killer technology, by way of acoustic devices, direct energy weapons, electro magnetic weapons, etc., can easily be used by terrorist organization to hinder opposing military threats or citizens alike; at a lengths greater than 300 yards. These implications will change the way terrorist organizations attack their non-believers and the direction in which wars are fought. And its only a matter of time until these car sized weapons become a deadly side arm for personal use.


Field Use Of Less Lethal Weaponry

Have Less Lethal Weapons Found a New Use?

Movie myth has come alive! The once pronounced Ghost Busters “Slimmer” has leaked its inspiration onto less lethal weapons as Sticky Foam. The once pronounced gag of the less lethal weapon industry, is making a comeback into other realms than weaponry. The hydrocarbon solution has found a new home in the protection of facilities by being imbedding into steal doors. If these doors are to ever be breached, the hydrogen solution, when mixed with O2, will reseal the door, in addition to covering and incapacitating its close range attacker(s). I guess you can say it’s a door that fights back.

Other less lethal weapons technology has leaked its way out into different uses. Technology from the TASER X26 has moved into a hunters reality. Taser International, Inc. has converted the wireless projectile of a taser, into a circuit-less non-lethal 12-gauge shotgun. The implications on the use by hunters could pose handy in the hands of those who do not want to kill. This weapon could give the same rush of hunting, without the death of an animal. Of course, this weapon would not be a complete waste in the hands of law enforcement either. With this weapon, law enforcement official can reduce injuries and it could prove to be an alternative use of force.



Stuck on Security
eXtended Range Electro-muscular Projectile

To Toy or Not to Toy

Lethal weapons turned into toys is a common concept. How about a toy turned lethal weapon? According to NewScientistTech.com , our US army is funding a toy manufacture, Lund and Company Inventions, to use their firing technology in their propel toy rockets to produce a new lethal / non-lethal weapon. Lund and Company Inventions makes toy rockets that are powered by burning hydrogen. The US Army has proposed placing that same technology into a lethal weapon, in turn making it possible to speedup or slowdown the projectiles velocity.

The new weapon has been coined the Variable Velocity Weapon System or VWS. The light weight .50 caliber weapon will be loaded with rubber bullets (aka Laughing Bullets ) in addition to lethal rounds. This new technology could be an effective tool, not only for our military soldiers, but street officers as well. The advantages of being able to switch from lethal to non-lethal rounds with the click of a button could save precious time officers need when attempting to properly detain an offender. Needless to say, it could change the way officers employ their weapons.

Corrections

According to Lombardo, one third of correctional officers consider danger as the most dissatisfying part of their job. Every correctional officer is frightened by the idea of hundreds of inmates attempting to overthrow prison guards with brut force and numbers. How does a facility stop 500 trapped criminals from rampaging through a correctional facility? It would be unethically to let tower guards target random inmates with their lethal rifles and wrong to expect guards to overpower the 50 to one ratio of inmates to officer. The only answer to end such a conflict is the use of less lethal weapons. Chemical agent weapons such as tear gas and pepper balls can incapacitate a crowd of unruly inmates in minutes. In doing so, possibly saving the lives of the dozens of correctional officer.
Additional research by Kauffman has found that guards not only consider danger dissatisfying but they are horrified to the extent of violence in prisons. With this being assumed, would guards be quick to jump on the idea of deploying a less lethal weapon, knowing it will not kill the inmate? My biggest concern about using less lethal weapons in a correctional facility is the over exposed use by guards, in an attempt to display their coercive power over inmates.


What would you do in such a situation?

Militaries Less Lethal Weapons

It is hard to be understood in a practical sense when your entire mission in life is to hurt people. At least that is the situation behind our Military’s Pain Ray, also known as an Active Denial System (ADS) . The ADS works by directing electromagnetic radiation, such as high frequency microwaves, towards a subject. This frequency causes the water molecules underneath the skin to heat to approximately 130 degrees Fahrenheit with a two second burst, cause a burning sensation. Any hirer and the injuries could be hazardous.

In May 2005, an initiative called Project Sheriff was suppose to deploy the ADS into Iraq, but it was postponed due to uncertainties about the technology. If the ADS was a lethal weapon, it would have been introduced into military field operations years ago. But ADS is a less than lethal weapon (LLW). The concept of LLW, especial when integrated with the military, raises many questions of uncertainty about ethical standards. Questions geared towards ADS is, does this radiation cause cancer, what if the ADS was held on a subject to long, and can it be used to kill? All very practical ethical questions concerning a weapon of this nature. Personally, I would propose using a weapon that can cause minor burns and injuries over the use of live ammunition.

There are known dangers of the ADS. First, there is human error. Anyone using the weapon incorrectly may cause serious injuries or death. Secondly, tests have shown that the reflection of the ADS beam can cause hot spots more than twice as strong as the main beam. And lastly, the risk of the weapon falling into the wrong hands could be fatal.

On the other hand, a weapon of this nature could be used as a beneficiary to our military personnel. It could save the lives of the men and women who put their lives at risk every day in the battle fields.

ADS Demonstration



Vehicle-Mounted Active Denial System (V-MADS)
US military in denial over 'pain ray'
Weapon System Technology

Side Effects

While less lethal weapons (LLW) are safer than conventional weapons, they still posses side effects. These effects could be as minor as pin pricks or as fatal as a traditional weapon. Less lethal weapons can cause contusions, abrasions, broken ribs, loss of eyes, organ damage, ruptured heart, liver, and kidneys, and even death. In 2000, according to Consumer Product Safety Commission, 21,840 injuries were reported from the use of LLW. Of those injuries, 12% were ocular, 24 involved head and neck, 63% involved limbs, and 1% involved other areas. Tragic deaths have occurred from LLW, such as in the case of Victoria Snelgrove, who in 2006 was killed by a pepper spray pellet that was fired into a crowd of people near Fenway Park by a Boston Police Officer.

Law enforcement is constantly looking for new innovation to improve its line of duty. Whether it is putting more officers on the street, zero tolerance policies or new police programs (C.O.P & P.O.P). We must understand that new innovations always come with a few bugs. In the case of less lethal weapons, injuries are its bug, and it posses an inevitable side effect of the danger.

We must remember that no weapon is a safe weapon. And even though the title is less than lethal, essentially it means, “intended not to kill.”


Victoria Snelgrove Story




Victoria Snelgrove
Medical Aspects of Less-Lethal Munitions

Women Officers

Over the years, women and police work have become more common; from volunteer prison matrons, to tramp camp quasi police, and currently full fledged police officers. Women’s contribution as officers once viewed as too touchy feely to perform police work (some still view as so) has moved policing into a new era; community oriented police (COP). Women police officers posses ability to relinquish a situation with using for force. Some officers view their capability as being less effective, for their tactics will not restrain an aggressive individual.
Technology, in the form of less lethal weapons, have made it easier for women to incorporate themselves into a male dominated career. The ability to subdue an aggressor with bare arms is no longer a requirement. Women possess ideal qualities of our new generational COP officers. They posses the knowledge, ability, and through less lethal weapons, the ability to obtain cooperation.

Deterrence

Freeze! Stop or ill shoot! Run and ill shoot! Common lingo from the mouths of officers from everyone’s favorite T.V. show Cops. Lets ask ourselves the question, does pulling out a deadly weapon that will not be fired put the fear in criminal eyes? The answer is “No.” Criminals recognize that officer cannot fire their pistol even if they run from an officer. To obtain deterrence of fleeing from an officer, criminals must be aware of the penalty, perceive the consequences, and believe there is a risk for their actions. Stop or ill Tazer you! Stop resisting or ill pepper spray you! These are threats/actions that officers can perform. They propose clear penalties, offer consequences, and give a result to their criminals actions.

Rational Choice and Deterrence Theory

Crowd Control

Use of force is generally accepted as a nature of police work. Skolnick and Fyfe (1993) provide a scale for ascending actions where police should handle street situations; presence, persuasive verbalization, command verbalization, firm grips, pain compliance, impact technique, and deadly force. Less than lethal weapons can eliminate the last action presented, deadly force, as a crowd control option.
One of the toughest challenges of an officer is crowd control. With the growing amount of protestors, police are forced to conjure up new and effective ways of maintaining order. As a result of riots such as Rodney King riot, New York Draft riot, Watts riots, and many more, officer are forced to invest time and training with less than lethal crowd control weapons. Chemical agents, direct energy weapons, directed acoustic weapons are ideal for controlling large amounts of protestors. Each device having its own array of specialties that can and could have effectively brought an end to past and future crowd control issues.

Student's Death Returns Crowd Control to the Fore

List of Riots


Police Crowd Control Training

Rules of Engagement

Officers follow a strict use of force conduct for deploying less lethal weapons. A situation where a suspect is demonstrating combative or assault like behavior would be ideal for the use of a less lethal weapon. Officers assess their own situation based on their training and their better judgment, before making the decision to deploy a less lethal weapon. The environment and near by citizens are also contributing factors of deploying less lethal weapons. Officers use a utilitarian approach of right and wrong and weigh their actions depending on what they believe will bring about the best possible outcome. An outcome of a less combative suspect. Their decision to deploy the less lethal weapon must be weighed carefully, for officers are required to report every time a taser is used and are scrutinized if their one third of a second decision is not the correct one.



CBC News : Taser Faq's

Saving Lives

While many police officers are still getting comfortable with the idea of carrying less than lethal weapons (LLW), it is unarguable to dispute the lives the weapons are saving. Twenty years ago, if an officer had to un-holster a weapon to deal with an intoxicated individual, it may have ended in blood shed. These occurrences have been put in the past. No longer do innocent lives have to be taken because of the inebriated actions of drunken individuals attacking officers. And officers no longer have to share the burden of taking a father, brother, and son away from loved ones. The consequences of using a LLW over a deadly weapon brings about the best possible outcome, life.

An officers well being is also being spared with the use of LLW’s. Officers are no longer expected to detain an attacking offender with their bare hands or a night stick. With the use of oleoresin capsicum or pepper spray, officers can suspend an attackers advancement from 12 feet away. The attacker may feel discomfort from the LLW, but the cost of his own life or the life of the officer makes it priceless. One may dispute the ethical concern of the attacker stopping before the 12feet, but at what risk to the officer.

LLW’s also assist in preventing suicide by cop. If an individual attempts to provoke officers to kill him, deadly force is no longer the only option. Officers now have the alternative choice of using many different less lethal weapons. The most prevalent is the 12 gage shoot gun, loaded with a less than lethal bean bag. This weapon is effective from twenty one feet or greater. Ultimately, saving the life of the offender and leaving the officer out of harms way.

Comparative Study

Introduction

In the 1980's, police officers began to carry a less lethal weapon in form of mace, in conjunction with their already less lethal night stick. In 2008, less lethal weapons can now be found as pepper spray, electroshock, sticky foam, non-lethal rounds, acoustic devices, electromagnet radiation (not all carried by officers). Department of Defense describes less lethal weapons as "discriminate weapons that are explicitly designed and employed to incapacitate personnel or materiel, while minimizing fatalities and undesired damage to property and environment.” Less lethal weapons can cause contusions, concussions, loss of sight, superficial organ damage, and more. These may seem like serious injuries, but compared to an inevitable death, they are acceptable. The use of non - lethal technology is beneficial to law enforcement, corrections, and military professionals. These weapons are designed to save the lives of officers and their involved subjects.

This is an academic blog I am creating for my Criminal Justice 194: Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice; at California State University Sacramento.