Alternative Ways to Arm

Officers in the U.S.

By Youth for Minorities
Instagram: @youthforminorities
Introduction
• In a perfect world, law enforcement wouldn’t need to arm themselves with weapons of any sort.
Unfortunately, the most used weapon that is used by these authorities are guns. As we all know,
guns are deadly, they were made with the intent to kill. the National Gun Violence Research Center
sent a “Police Department Weapons Survey” to the 61 largest police agencies in the country, with an
87% response rate (53 completed surveys). According to this survey, 73% of these agencies arm
their officers with semi-automatic weapons, while 27% claimed to arm their officers with EITHER
semi-automatic weapons or revolvers. 93% equip their officers with rifles or assault weapons. 94%
equip their  officers with shot guns. law enforcement already carries tasers, batons, mace, and
pepper spray. We don’t need semi-automatic assault weapons, revolvers, and shotguns on top of all
that. We believe that no officer should wield any sort of weapon that can cause significant harm or
death to the people they claim to protect. But if necessary, there are less harmful alternatives that we
think could be as effective (and less deadly) than guns. Listed in this presentation are the several
ways we can manage threats without using deadly weapons.
The Problem with Rubber
Bullets
• Though rubber bullets aren’t as deadly as actual bullets,
they’re still extremely harmful. Dr. Owen Wiese claims
that injuries sustained by rubber bullets can lead to
death. In a study of 90 people who were wounded by
rubber bullets, 2 died, 18 suffered from permanent
disabilities, and 44 required hospital treatment. Rubber
bullets are still very lethal, and again, can cause
significant damage or death. A calm protester who will
not be named for the sake of her privacy sustained
injuries from a rubber bullet and has photographic
evidence of the damage it caused. Again, this protester
was peaceful and did nothing wrong. Warning that this
photo contains blood.
The Problem with Tasers

• It’s important to remember the fact that the

definition of the TASER is that it’s a LESS-
LETHAL alternative, NOT NON-LETHAL.
Therefore it is still lethal. Very thin individuals,
elderly people, pregnant women, and children
are at extremely high risk if they encounter
TASER prongs. The Police Executive Research
Forum says that total exposure should be no
more than 15 seconds. TASERs are still
extremely dangerous and should not be carried
by law enforcement.
Bean Bag Rounds

• Small bags filled with lead, silicone, or rubber

balls could be launched from shotguns. This
can be used when the person in question isn’t
compliant but is far away and not a direct
threat. The effects this can have on someone
are pain, muscle spasms, and temporary
immobility. Unfortunately, if these bean bags
hit the head, throat, or chest, it can result in
severe injury or death. So this isn’t the first
recommendation.
Blunt-Impact Projectiles

• Blunt-impact projectiles are plastic bullets

capped with gel, silicone, or foam, and can
contain pepper spray or liquids that smell like
rotten eggs, fecal matter, or dead animals.
These projectiles can be launched from either a
single-shot gas launcher or giant revolver and
are designed to flatten upon impact. This can
cause severe, blunt pain on a person, and is
designed to NOT cause internal bleeding. But it
can be severe if fired at the head, neck or chest.
Pepper Balls

• Pepper balls are small plastic balls filled with

synthetic capsaicin powder (active ingredient
in chili powder). After being launched by a
paintball style gun, these pepper balls explode
after hitting any surface. These pepper balls
can cause trouble with breathing, and can cause
coughing, runny nose, and
stinging/puffy/watery eyes. Usually aimed at
surfaces such as walls or ceilings but could be
fatal if shot directly in the eye.
Communication

• While it may seem ineffective, talking to

suspects can sometimes be the most effective
way of getting said suspect’s cooperation.
More information can be found here:

• https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/Publications/cops-p
222-pub.pdf
 • https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN1PT
0YT

• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taser#

• https://www.themarshallproject.org/2015/09/23/altern

Sources atives-to-bullets

• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_bullet

• http://www.quarryhs.co.uk/baton.htm

• https://amp.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/30157
67/less-lethal-weapons-such-rubber-bullets-and-beanb
ag-rounds-can-be