A few decades ago, security forces would have killed to have access to a non-lethal weapon
like this!
Something that could help them get a situation under control without unnecessary escalation.
That’s because prior to the development of effective non-lethal weapons, law enforcement
more or less had two options when facing a threat: shout … or shoot.
But let’s face it, there is a long list of alternatives that exists between verbal
communications … and lethal weapons!
Believe it or not, one of the methods considered for physically securing nuclear weapons installations,
was to use sticky foam!
Catch them like a spider would, alive!
And not too long ago, personnel who guarded embassies often had no ammunition in their
firearms!
Even to this day, the vast majority of the police force in Great Britain do not carry
firearms.
The rationale was to prevent undesirable escalations in case of a conflict, but that left the law
enforcement at risk.
So in the late 1980s and early 1990s, an effort began to develop Non-Lethal Weapons, which
is how things like pepper sprays and tasers were issued to law enforcement, and in some
places, to citizens.
But even though these devices get the job done and their effects typically disappear
within a short period of time, they are quite painful while they last.
What would be nice is a way to restrain or incapacitate an individual who is a threat
to themselves or others, but without inflicting much pain on them.
Kinda like how cowboys use a lasso.
Well, there’s an idea!
Bola Wrap hand-held devices shoot out a Kevlar tether which wraps around the body and temporarily
restrains uncooperative suspects or a person in crisis.
The Kevlar tether has an anchor on each end, with a safety cap on it, so they are less
likely to pierce the skin and more likely to catch onto clothing.
Bola Wraps may work well on one or few individuals, but they are not exactly practical when it
comes to crowd control.
In the mid-20th century, fire-control systems were integrated into major cities, with fire
hydrants located at every corner.
They were handy when there was a fire, but also had other uses, like this fire hydrant
that was prepared for crowd control during a civil rights march in Atlanta, Georgia in
1960.
The use of water cannons and fire trucks remains an effective non-lethal tactic to disperse
riots.
It’s all unicorns and rainbows, until it hits you!
Then it’s cold and wet!
Tear gas can also disperse big crowds, but it can have severe physiological and psychological
effects.
In addition, tear gas can cause a lot of collateral damage with innocent bystanders.
An ideal crowd control system would force people to leave, without hurting them … much,
and the Active Denial System can supposedly do just that.
But first, a word from our sponsor.
Designed for perimeter security and crowd control, the Active Denial System works by
firing a powerful directed electromagnetic radiation from over half a mile away.
The heat waves penetrate the top 1⁄64 inch layers of the skin, which feels unpleasant
and intense enough to cause a nearly instantaneous reflex to move away, at which time, the sensation
dissipates immediately.
The operator can use a joystick to point the heat wave at one person, or pan across a whole
crowd.
As far as we know, this system was never used operationally, and there are still concerns
around its potential side effects.
Similar to the Active Denial System which uses unbearable heat, an Acoustic Hailing
Device generates unbearable sound.
It’s the sound equivalent of looking directly at the sun!
But the very incident that inspired the development of Acoustic Hailing Devices, is Not What You
Think.
On October 12th, 2000, a small boat approached the US Navy destroyer, USS Cole, while the
ship was at a port in Yemen for refueling.
The boat pulled up right next to the Navy ship, and then a massive explosion happened
which created a 40-by-60-foot gash in the ship's port side and killed 17 US Navy sailors
and injuring nearly 40 more.
USS Cole had to be transported on the heavy-lift ship, Blue Marlin, for repairs.
Investigations revealed that the personnel on board USS Cole had tried to hail the approaching
boat, but the two men on the boat, had just kept waiving back in a friendly manner.
The personnel being unsure whether the two men could hear them clearly from the distance,
waited for the boat to get closer, which gave the two Al Qaeda suicide bombers a chance
to blow up the boat right next to the ship.
This tragic incident highlighted the need for naval personnel to have a way of contacting
approaching vessels from far enough away that allows the personnel to respond appropriately
to avert any danger.
This is exactly why Acoustic Hailing Devices were invented, and the Long-Range Acoustic
Device or LRAD is a great example of it.
But wait!
Couldn’t a loud speaker, bullhorn or megaphone already do this?
See, the problem with common speakers is that even if the sound emitted was loud enough
to reach a vessel hundreds of feet away, the clarity of the message that would be heard
was questionable.
This is known as the Charlie Brown Effect.
Here is a Police helicopter using a megaphone at low altitude, broadcasting warnings to
tailgaters before a football game.
You can be sure those tailgaters kept on drinking!
In contrast, this is another helicopter broadcasting a message using LRAD from a much farther distance.
LRADs are specialized speakers that can deliver a message clearly from more than 3 miles away
[5km].
This is why not only are they quite useful for navies to communicate to unknown vessels
from a distance, but also at check-points in high risk areas where any unknown vehicle
could pose a threat.
Communities that are prone to natural disasters traditionally have used sirens to notify the
residents of an imminent danger, which is useful, but sirens don’t provide any additional
information.
This is why the fire department at Mill Valley, California upgraded their old sirens to LRADs,
so in addition to notification, they can communicate messages and instructions to the residents.
Their ability to effectively transmit loud sounds directionally, and omni-directionally,
also made LRADs a practical tool for crowd control.
LRADs can generate extremely loud volumes, up to 160 dB.
As a point of reference, standing directly behind a jet engine as it takes off generates
130 to 140dB.
Most people will experience pain at 140dB, so if not used properly, LRADs can cause permanent
hearing damage.
The beauty of non-lethal weapons is that they can be layered on top of each other as a situation
escalates.
For example, at a traffic control point, LRADs can communicate a clear verbal message from
a safe distance to an approaching vehicle, asking the driver to stop.
They may not comply, maybe the driver is deaf.
Next step is to shoot them … with a dazzler, a laser that sends a clear non-verbal message
and interferes with their vision.
They may still not comply, maybe driver is … blind.
Then there are still other ways to stop the vehicle before we have to use a lethal weapon.
We should clarify that Non-lethal doesn’t mean that it cannot kill you.
There are instances where both taser and tear gas have resulted in death.
Non-Lethal just means that it is not intended to kill you.
That’s why some prefer the term “less-lethal”.
Regardless, there is much room for improvement in non-lethal weapons and especially in procedures
for their use.
The non-lethality of these weapons is very much contingent on their proper use which
highlights the importance of training.
OK, that’s a wrap!