Calgary police add less-lethal weapons to officers' arsenal

In an effort to better diffuse high-risk situations, the Calgary Police Service isadding a less-lethal optionto its arsenal.

As part of the Patrol Less Lethal program, trained officers are nowusing the single-shot, 37-mm ARWEN ACE-T less-lethal launcher, whichfires an ARWEN AR-1 impact baton.

ARWENis an acronym that stands for Anti-Riot Weapon ENfield. The ACE fires less-lethal rounds made of plastic.

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Members of the CPS tactical team have been using the launcher since 2008 and they will now be used byfront-line officers.

Use of the weapon began this week andwill be phased in over the summer months, with 40 launchers being distributed to trained officers citywide. By the end of next year, 160 frontline officers will have been trained across the city and 80 systems will be available.

The weapon allows officers to create distance between themselvesand a high-risk person.

"[This] gives us more time, which provides officers more options in order to deal with high-risk persons in crisis, so we can employ other tactics and otheroptions, such ascommunication, de-escalation," saidStaff Sgt. JasonBobrowich, the Patrol Less Lethal program lead.

The goal, saidBobrowich,is to resolve situations with the least amount of force necessary.

Getting hitby a projectilewillhurt, however,as the impact is about 1.5 times greater than "being hit by a baseballgoing 100miles an hour," said Bobrowich.

The ACE is effective at a range of about20 metres, he added, which ismuch farther than a Taser.

Rather than penetrate a target like a bullet,Bobrowichsaid the projectiles are designed to cause pain, increasing compliance.

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