Wrap Technologies has announced the Seattle Police Department (SPD) has approved a pilot program for the BolaWrap Remote Restraint device.
Every day law enforcement officers find themselves faced with potential physical confrontation.
Like “remote handcuffs”, the BolaWrap® Remote Restraint device, is a patented, hand-held device that discharges a Kevlar® tether to temporarily restrain resisting subjects from a safe distance, safely & humanely restraining them without relying on pain compliance tools.
Non-compliant subjects in mental crisis & drug-impaired subjects are often incapable of comprehending commands of officers.
BolaWrap enables officers to safely & humanely take subjects into custody without injury to get them the help they need.
(The Seattle Police Department will participate in a pilot program in which officers will deploy a non-lethal way to take suspects down, a trial period that the agency will use to determine if it should be rolled out to more officers on the force. Courtesy of KOMO 5 News Seattle, WRAP and YouTube. Posted on May 26, 2021.)
BolaWrap provides law enforcement officers with a more humane alternative to traditional non-lethal tools of batons, pepper spray and tasers to restrain someone during an escalating confrontation.
Seattle, SPD Interim Chief Adrian Diaz has greenlit the BolaWrap for field testing by the Seattle Police Department, according to KOMO News.
“I agreed with the Community Police Commission when, in January, they recommended that Seattle Police Department policy reflect that: ‘protecting the sanctity of human life should be the primary principle of how and when force is applied,’ explained Seattle City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, Chair of the Council’s Public Safety and Human Services Committee,
“I am very encouraged by the BolaWrap’s potential to help de-escalate situations and reduce the number of tragic outcomes.”
WRAP Training Academy trainers conducted a live demonstration of the BolaWrap for the approximately 1000 Seattle officers on April 12, 2021.
Tom Smith, President and CEO of WRAP, added, “Our team looks forward to working with the Seattle Police Department to support successful implementation of the BolaWrap and training that best fits their needs for innovative public safety and law enforcement solutions focused on avoiding escalation of force.”
(Learn More. #BolaWrap was specifically designed for mentally ill, drug induced, or non-complaint subjects, as a way to restrain them without using pain, before the encounter escalates to the point where higher uses of force are necessary. Courtesy of Wrap and YouTube. Posted on Dec 3, 2019.)
Use of force experts place BolaWrap lower on the Use of Force Continuum than handcuffs and recommended the BolaWrap should be carried by all frontline officers.
BolaWrap has been successfully deployed by police officers on non-compliant subjects to assist in de-escalating encounters & taking subjects into custody safely & without injury in cities like Los Angeles, Sacramento, Fresno, Minneapolis, West Palm Beach, Fort Worth, & others.
Through many field uses and growing adoption by agencies across the globe, BolaWrap is proving to be an effective tool to safely detain persons without injury.
Field use bodycam videos of the BolaWrap by police departments across the United States can be viewed here.
WRAP, who’s headquarters are located in Tempe, Arizona, also offers a virtual reality training system titled WRAP Reality, which is an immersive training simulator and comprehensive public safety training platform designed to empower first responders with the necessary knowledge to perform in the field.
To Learn More, go to wrap.com.
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