Analyzing Less Lethal Options
As the technology behind less lethal weaponry improves, campus safety professionals are faced with a growing number of options to consider. In this Campus Safety exclusive, the Florida Gulf Coast University Weapons and Equipment Research Institute shares its unbiased, independent evaluations of less lethal weapons.
With the proper tool for the specific task, law enforcement may be able to neutralize threats with a minimum amount of force. Currently, there is no less-lethal weapon that is most appropriate for every scenario. Each situation is unique and, as such, requires a decision by the officer on scene as to what technology should be used. However, on most campuses the average officer has little or no input regarding the purchase of his or her department’s less lethal technology. The decision to choose a certain technology normally lies with the police chief, chief administrator or agency head.
Campus officials can better prepare their agencies by understanding the strengths and limitations of the less lethal weapons available in the law enforcement marketplace. The Florida Gulf Coast University Weapons and Equipment Research Institute has conducted unbiased, independent evaluations of law enforcement equipment, primarily less lethal weapons.
There are a number of considerations for choosing a less lethal weapon, specifically range, effectiveness, ease of access to the weapon and the potential for bystander injury. The following sections detail an overview of impact weapons, chemical weapons, electrical, compressed air and less lethal munitions, as well as a brief overview of the relevant research and field studies.
Impact Weapons
These intermediate weapons are intended to strike specific target areas of resisting offenders, creating dysfunction or pain. High-visibility nightsticks and side-handled batons seem to have gone out of style and have been replaced with smaller, collapsible straight batons. With the transition to a collapsible nightstick, many of the advanced control techniques, which were possible with side-handled batons, are difficult if not impossible to incorporate.
The success rate for this category of weapons is the lowest, as drugs and alcohol significantly reduce pain compliance. However, recent improvements in design (e.g., power safety tips) create greater mass and velocity in their strikes, thus creating more kinetic energy transfer.
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