NCJ Number
178815
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 47 Issue: 8 Dated: August 1999 Pages: 65-71
Date Published
August 1999
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article outlines the procedure for police agencies to use in selecting impact weapons.
Abstract
Impact weapons are generally considered intermediate weapons and are commonly referred to as less-than-lethal weapons. The selection of an impact weapon should be based on simple and logical criteria. Fundamentally, a police impact weapon, by design, has a primary function: striking specific target areas of a violent and resisting offender to stop an attack and gain control by causing dysfunction or pain. With this straightforward assessment, the first principle for selection must be effectiveness. The design of an impact weapon, which greatly influences effectiveness, must include proper length and diameter, adequate weight, be smooth and rounded with no sharp edges, and have an appropriate grip. An impact weapon must also have court defensibility. Further, when a baton is examined for potential police use, there must be abundant quality training available for the specific baton being considered. An impact weapon is only as effective as the level of skill and judgment possessed by the officer holding it.