Dewey Beach police to use non-lethal restraint device

Dewey Beach police officers will soon deploy a non-lethal restraint device that shoots a projectile to ensnare and immobilize subjects without pain, town officials said May 14.

Town Manager Bill Zolper said he observed a demonstration held by device manufacturer BolaWrap for Police Chief Sam Mackert. The device would be a progressive move away from pain compliance methods and would cause very little possible injury, Zolper said.

“This is moving in the right direction,” Zolper said. “We’re actually doing compliance without pain.” 

BolaWrap is a handheld device that discharges a Kevlar cord that spins around and attaches to the subject’s legs or torso with small hooks, Mackert said. It can be used up to 20 feet away, allowing officers to take suspects into custody without harm to them or officers, he said. 

Officers who deal with a person in mental crisis are typically called by a family member for help, Mackert said, and the last thing they want to see is a Taser deployed on their loved one.

The pepper spray, expandable steel baton and Taser officers carry on their belts all cause pain for the subject to comply, Mackert said. During the demonstration, Mackert said, both he and Lt. Billy Hocker had the BolaWrap deployed on them and felt no pain. Typically, Mackert said, the small hooks attach to the cord itself.

Commissioner Gary Persinger said he disagreed the device is totally pain-free; he said it would be used in the summer when the device’s barbs would anchor into exposed skin of the lower legs and arms.

Persinger also questioned the device’s effectiveness, citing a Los Angeles Police Department pilot program in which officers used BolaWrap nine times in three months, and that the cord fully wrapped around only one subject in that time. The device was deemed a success because when it was used, no other form of force was needed to apprehend the suspect, he said.

He said he would not vote against the purchase of BolaWrap, but suggested a trial period, and a policy for circumstances in which to use the device and what to do if barbs get embedded in skin.

Mackert said BolaWrap gave him several police agency policies to review and customize. When people are Tasered, Mackert said, darts enter their skin in advance of the electric charge. Normally officers remove the barbs and medical attention is provided if needed, he said.

Tasers are used quite often in summer, Mackert said, and officers could have used BolaWrap about 10 to 15 times in the past two years to de-escalate a situation.

The cost is about $12,000 for 10 devices, belt equipment and training cartridges and includes the training of several officers to be instructors who can train remaining officers, Mackert said. Additional cartridges cost between $30-40 each, he said.

Commissioners unanimously approved the purchase of the devices at a cost of up to $15,000 using military surplus funds.