The Abbotsford Police Department (APD) has become the first police agency in the province to use a new less-lethal device to immobilize suspects.
The department will be using the BolaWrap 150, which is designed to restrain individuals without hurting them or using excessive force.
The device, weighing about two ounces and having a range of 10 to 25 feet, shoots out a Kevlar cord that wraps around a subject’s legs or arms.
The lasso-like restraint – made by Wrap Technologies based in Tempe, Arizona – is an alternative to other devices such as rubber bullets, stun guns and batons.
“It provides another option for officers when intervening with potentially volatile subjects, while at the same time decreasing the injury potential to the subject that is often associated with other tools,” said APD Const. Alex Odintsov.
The initiative was managed by the APD's training section and spearheaded by Odinstov.
A press release from the APD says the department "led the approval process" for BolaWrap's use in B.C. by working with provincial policing standards.
"This included a comprehensive field trial, submission of all required documentation, and the formation of a provincial stakeholder panel to review real
deployment data," the release states.
Deputy Chief Jason Burrows said the new device is a "valuable addition" to officers' options.
"We plan to implement this tool over the next year and will evaluate its effectiveness based on the data collected before deciding on further investment," he said.
According to the Wrap Technologies website, the device is currently being used by more than 1,000 agencies worldwide.
An email from the company states that other cities across Canada are “poised to follow” as they look for “new ways to strive for more innovative and humane policing.”
The RCMP released a report in August 2021 exempting the BolaWrap from being classified as a prohibited device or firearm under the Criminal Code.
Firearms and prohibited devices that are not exempt are subject to stringent sale regulations and limitations, even to law enforcement.
More details about the APD’s use of the BolaWrap – including the cost – will be revealed at a press conference and demonstration on Thursday morning (Aug. 7).
