Behavioral Training, Humane Restraint Invaluable Options for Law Enforcement During Calls for Systemic Reform

NetworkNewsWire Editorial Coverage: In the wake of historic nationwide protests and riots following the death of George Floyd, law-enforcement agencies around the country are making training and safety top priorities.

On May 25, Floyd, a black man, died in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after being arrested by police. During the arrest, a policeman knelt on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes, despite his protests that he was unable to breath. The full nine minutes was videotaped by passersby and then shared through social media, sparking unprecedented nationwide protests and rioting, along with calls for police reform. As a result, law-enforcement agencies are taking a closer look at the use of excessive force. Numerous companies are committed to providing essential training and equipment to support and assist police departments that are committed to protecting both the public and their officers. Wrap Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: WRTC) recently partnered with the National Tactical Officers Association to launch a subscription-based law-enforcement behavioral training program. Digital Ally Inc. (NASDAQ: DGLY) announced a subscription program to enable more law-enforcement departments to purchase body cameras. Axon Enterprise Inc. (NASDAQ: AAXN) unveiled a mobile app for body cameras with remote livestreaming and critical real-time alerts. VirTra Inc. (NASDAQ: VTSI) offers police simulation training that helps prepare law-enforcement officers for real-life incidents. And gunshot detection technology available from ShotSpotter Inc. (NASDAQ: SSTI) unanimously passed a rigorous surveillance ordinance in Oakland, California.

Passionate Public Demands Reform

Different law-enforcement agencies require different training for their officers, but, traditionally, most police officers must complete a stint at a police academy or other official training before being eligible for employment. In addition, police officers often receive ongoing training throughout their careers to ensure they stay up-to-date and informed about current technologies, equipment and procedures.

Available law-enforcement training and equipment vary widely, but a passionate public is demanding that law-enforcement agencies take a closer look at what they are doing to ensure their officials receive adequate training and equipment, as well as have proper oversight in place to prevent the abuse of power and authority. The call for police reform has even reached the nation’s capital, where Congressional Democrats have unveiled a sweeping police reform bill that would ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants in drug cases.

Today’s Issues Focus of Wrap Reality Training

Companies with much-needed expertise and invaluable resources in areas that support and assist law enforcement in their commitment to make these changes are rising to the occasion. Among those companies are an innovator of modern policing solutions. Wrap Technologies Inc. recently unveiled its exclusive Wrap Reality, a new virtual reality training program that debuted in the United States at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) annual law enforcement trade show conference in Chicago in October 2019 and internationally at the Milipol trade show in Paris, France (http://nnw.fm/A3qeC).

The powerful program includes significant training on bias and the use of force, and it will be delivered, along with the company’s BolaWrap(R) products and accessories, through a subscription model designed to provide affordable virtual-reality training options to fit the needs of the smallest and largest agencies financially impacted by COVID-19 and recent riots.

“The response from both domestic and international law enforcement officers who experience our virtual reality scenarios has been extremely positive,” said Wrap Technologies president Tom Smith. “We are excited to be able to leverage the National Tactical Officers Association’s (NTOA) world-class expertise to develop an optimal virtual reality training program focusing on today’s issues.”

“Protests and demonstrations around the globe are demanding rapid change,” he continued. “This transformation will include new tools as well as enhanced training to address the social problems highlighted by this civil unrest. BolaWrap is the only humane, remote restraint de-escalation tool that does not rely on pain compliance, and Wrap Reality with the NTOA will help bring immersive, real scenarios to life in virtual reality to accelerate learning new techniques and tools necessary for effective law enforcement.”

Close Collaboration Results in Perfect Combination

Wrap Technologies worked in close collaboration with the NTOA to create the in-depth training material and content for Wrap Reality’s virtual reality training scenarios. NTOA is a non-profit organization with more than 40,000 members dedicated to serving the law-enforcement community (http://nnw.fm/KStm4).

The NTOA’s dedicated staff members work hand-in-hand with high-quality, real-world public safety experts to provide the best services to the NTOA members, which include professionals working in patrol, TEMS, crisis negotiations, canine, corrections, sniper, protective operations, explosives, command, tactical dispatchers, and behavioral sciences specialties. The mission of the NTOA is to enhance the performance and professional status of law enforcement personnel by providing a credible and proven training resource, as well as a forum for the development of tactics and information exchange.

“Law enforcement has been entrusted with enormous responsibility concerning use of force,” said NTOA executive director K. Thor Eells. “It is our duty to ensure officers receive the best training possible to assure it is used judiciously and professionally. Since its inception, the primary goal of the NTOA has been to enhance the public safety profession through training. The collaboration between the NTOA and Wrap Technologies is the perfect combination of practical experience, education and technology focused on saving lives.”

BolaWrap – The Next Step in a More Humane Approach

In addition to the invaluable virtual reality training, Wrap Reality comes packaged with Wrap Technologies’ exclusive BolaWrap products and accessories. The BolaWrap is a hand-held remote restraint device that discharges an eight-foot bola-style Kevlar(R) tether at 513 feet per second to wrap a subject’s legs or arms at an effective range of 10 to 25 feet.

Created for law enforcement and the military, BolaWrap is designed to be a remote response to resistance tool that provides a safe space between a law-enforcement officer and the subject. The tool does not incorporate pain compliance and is specifically designed to be deployed early in an encounter to decrease the potential for injury to the subject, bystanders or the officer.

“Upgraded training opportunities for de-escalation and appropriate use of force to law enforcement agencies is the obvious next step for agencies carrying our humane BolaWrap remote restraint device,” said Wrap Technologies CEO David Norris. “Wrap Reality teaches new methods and approaches that ultimately enhance the response of the officer and should have a positive impact on their community interactions.”

Companies Offering Law-Enforcement Support Gain Value

Wrap Technologies isn’t the only company offering support, training and equipment to law-enforcement agencies during this critical time.

Digital Ally Inc. (NASDAQ: DGLY) also announced a program enabling law-enforcement agencies to purchase its lightweight, weather-resistant FirstVu Body Camera with Mini Dock on a subscription plan. Digital Ally develops, manufactures and markets advanced video-recording products and other safety products for law enforcement, emergency management, fleet safety and security. It’s new program includes several subscription package options, providing versatility to match a department’s unique needs.

A global leader in connected public-safety technologies, Axon Enterprise Inc. (NASDAQ: AAXN) is also focusing on body cam services, recently unveiling a mobile app for body cameras that allows law enforcement to remotely view live streamed Axon Body 3 camera or Axon Air drone footage. The app could offer advanced situational awareness for support teams, thereby helping make officers and communities safer.

ShotSpotter Inc. (NASDAQ: SSTI), the leader in solutions that help law-enforcement officials identify, locate and deter gun violence, recently received unanimous approval for continued use of its gunshot detection technology from the City Council of Oakland and its Privacy Advisory Commission (PAC) after a rigorous review. The review was required under a 2018 ordinance that Oakland established in conjunction with the ACLU related to the acquisition and use of surveillance technology. Oakland’s ordinance is considered the strongest municipal surveillance oversight in the United States.

VirTra Inc.’s (NASDAQ: VTSI) police simulation training helps prepare law-enforcement officers for real-life incidents. The company’s real-world, judgmental use of force training simulators feature scenarios that provide an in-depth look into human performance. The demands on law enforcement to make critical decisions in tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving situations require that the human performance aspect of cognitive neuroscience and human physiology are taken into account as part of the police training methodology, and research on how to best use law enforcement simulation technology is taken into account within what VirTra does.

As law-enforcement agencies respond to the public’s outcry for higher accountability and more humane treatment, companies offering training and resources to support these efforts will become increasingly valuable.

For more information on Wrap Technologies, please visit Wrap Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: WRTC).

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