Long range less lethal weapons: best practices in implementation

Long range less lethal weapons are tools that are needed in law enforcement. Police officers are often faced with situations in which they must confront an armed person. In some of these situations lethal force cannot be justified, but standard less lethal use of force options would put the officers in harm’s way. The purpose of this research project has been to determine what, if any, long range less lethal weapons are available, and how they have been implemented. For the purposes of this project, ‘long range’ less lethal weapons have been defined as those that have a range greater than approximately 30 feet. This research project was limited to studying secondary data, so an emphasis was placed on the literature review as the primary source of information. Key themes from the literature included harm caused by less lethal weapons, the importance of education and training for law enforcement officers, and the need for versatility in less lethal weapons. Findings included the need for further research, and an acknowledgement of the need for better long range less lethal weapons.