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.