In years past, most local police departments had a simple “kill or be killed” philosophy when it came to fighting crime. Although lethal force was always considered a “last resort,” it was usually the only resort when words, batons and/or water cannons failed to pacify a suspect or disperse an unruly crowd.
No more. Thanks to rapidly advancing technology, today’s law enforcement agencies often have a broad range of “non-lethal” or, more accurately, “less-than-lethal” weapons they can use to achieve desired results. Be they kinetic, chemical or electronic, these tools give police the flexibility they need to respond with a level of force most appropriate to the situation at hand and avoid unintended casualties.
These “non-lethal” weapons include:
* Low-velocity kinetic rounds. These include rubber bullets, wax bullets and “beanbags,” all non-metallic projectiles intended to stun and/or immobilize a suspect through sheer force of impact. Although not intended to pierce skin, these weapons can be quite powerful at close range, resulting in serious bruising, broken bones and other injuries.
* Sedative darts. Like the tranquilizer darts that have been used for decades to incapacitate animals in zoos and wild animal parks, these weapons use a winged hypodermic needle to deliver a potent dose of fast-acting sedatives into a suspect’s bloodstream. Such darts can be fired from a variety of weapons, including a repeating crossbow, compressed-air rifle or electromagnetic pistol. Effectiveness depends on the size of the dose and the size/weight of the suspect.
* Chemical weapons. These include pepper spray, tear gas and other “exotic compounds law enforcement can use to incapacitate individuals or disperse rioters. (In 2008, Israeli police used a chemical mist that smelled like rotting sewage for crowd control.) The problem with most chemical weapons is that they cannot be easily controlled once dispersed and can affect innocent bystanders as easily as those to whom they have been directed.
* Electroshock weapons. Most popularly known as “Tasers,” these weapons send 50,000 volts through thin flexible wires attached to needle-like projectiles that can be fired at suspects up to 25 feet away. The voltage is enough to cause involuntary muscle contractions that will debilitate the suspect without causing pain. (Some Tasers also have a “Drive Stun” feature that fires electricity directly into a suspect via physical contact, a method which is, by all accounts, quite painful.) Despite an overall good safety record, these electroshock weapons have been implicated in a number of serious injuries and even deaths.
Investigate a Career in Criminal Justice
Interested in a career in law enforcement?* Everest College offers Criminal Justice programs that can qualify you for many entry-level positions that can lead to a position in this exciting, challenging and rewarding field. For more information on Criminal Justice education programs, or to find an Everest campus near you, contact Everest today!
* Law enforcement may require additional training.
