Police shift toward new generation of weaponry
By Jeff Gilbride/Daily News staff
Thu Jul 19, 2007, 12:50 AM EDT
When Waltham Police hit the streets, officers have at their disposal not only their traditional firepower, but a new generation of weapons that includes PepperBall launchers and shotguns that fire bean bag ammunition.
And, the department is hoping to add Tasers, or electroshock devices, in the future.
The new arsenal - so-called "less-lethal" weapons - give officers more options when facing high-risk situations, according to Officer Ronald Raneri, a weapons expert.
"(Less-lethal weapons) give us options at a crime scene so we can hopefully neutralize a situation," Raneri said. "They can only be used in a relatively small number of incidents, like someone that wants to commit suicide by means of a knife."
According to Raneri, officers go through quarterly firearms training, in which police familiarize themselves with the weapons.
Raneri said PepperBall launchers use pava powder, which is much like the pepper spray that officers carry. The launchers are similar in appearance to paintball guns.
Although safer than regular ammunition, these products can still kill under certain circumstances, Raneri said.
Victoria Snelgorve was killed during the World Series riots in Kenmore Square in October 2004 by a pepper spray pellet.
"That weapon was not used properly," said Waltham Sgt. James Vaglica, a less-lethal instructor. "You had unqualified handlers using the weapons in an incorrect way."
According to Vaglica, his department has about a dozen qualified shooters.
"The initial training you learn about the ammo, you learn about the weapon, a brief history of it and its limitations, when to use it and when not to use it," Vaglica said. "If it was somebody armed with a firearm, you don't want to bring a less-lethal gun into that situation. It's good for situations with edged weapons and striking weapons where a person can not harm us from a distance."
Raneri said such weaponry has been used for many years.
"Most of these weapon systems have been tested with the military for quite a long time," he said. "We're just trying to find the right combination that's practical for this city."
The first such weapons were introduced to the Waltham department in 2003.
Each sergeant's cruiser has a Remington model 870 shotgun and with a bright orange barrel and the words "less-lethal" on the butt. The shotguns can hold rounds of regular ammunition or the Super Sock rounds.
Don Brinton is the vice president of sales for Combined Tactical Systems, a Pennsylvania company that makes Model 2581 Super Sock rounds.
"We have four patents on this new design. The difference between the new and the old one is this is a different configuration that makes it safer and much more accurate. It's the same kind of energy as Major League fastball."
According to Brinton, bean bag ammunition products have been around for about 25 years.
"The problem with the old typical style bag was it was a flat bag shaped like a piece of ravioli and it needed time to inflate," Brinton said. "For over 15 years, they were terribly inaccurate. The new product ... eliminates the previous problems. It's safer and much more accurate."
So far, Waltham Police have not yet had to use the new-generation of weapons outside of training.
"We've come close many times," Vaglica said.
Jeff Gilbride can be reached at 781-398-8005
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