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My favourite weapon. Guaranteed to make grown men cry … even the Irish
Police defend right to use 'less-lethal' weapons
Canadian forces are increasingly using a variety of controversial weapons, including an anti-riot gun once used in Northern Ireland
Rick Anthony remembers a time in policing when there weren't many options available to officers faced with a life or death situation.
"Your gun was your distance weapon and your baton was your close-up weapon," said Mr. Anthony, a detective with the Victoria police. "Your mouth was both."
But now, many forces across the country use a variety of "less-lethal" weapons - that is, a weapon less lethal than a gun but still able to inflict fatal damage - in their arsenal.
One of those weapons, the taser, has generated controversy in high-profile instances such as the death of Robert Dziekanski, who died last fall after being tasered by RCMP at Vancouver International Airport. But another weapon, which has been in some police arsenals for more than a decade, has also had its fair share of publicity. And police have recently said that it is more reliable than the taser and can be used at a much greater distance.
Developed originally as a way for police to control crowds during unrest in Northern Ireland, the ARWEN, the acronym for Anti-riot Weapon ENfield, fires plastic bullets and is used by law enforcements agencies across the country, said Brian Kirkey, president of Police Ordnance, the company based in Markham, Ont., that manufactures and distributes the gun worldwide.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080816.wxweapon16/BNStory/National/home
Police defend right to use 'less-lethal' weapons
Canadian forces are increasingly using a variety of controversial weapons, including an anti-riot gun once used in Northern Ireland
Rick Anthony remembers a time in policing when there weren't many options available to officers faced with a life or death situation.
"Your gun was your distance weapon and your baton was your close-up weapon," said Mr. Anthony, a detective with the Victoria police. "Your mouth was both."
But now, many forces across the country use a variety of "less-lethal" weapons - that is, a weapon less lethal than a gun but still able to inflict fatal damage - in their arsenal.
One of those weapons, the taser, has generated controversy in high-profile instances such as the death of Robert Dziekanski, who died last fall after being tasered by RCMP at Vancouver International Airport. But another weapon, which has been in some police arsenals for more than a decade, has also had its fair share of publicity. And police have recently said that it is more reliable than the taser and can be used at a much greater distance.
Developed originally as a way for police to control crowds during unrest in Northern Ireland, the ARWEN, the acronym for Anti-riot Weapon ENfield, fires plastic bullets and is used by law enforcements agencies across the country, said Brian Kirkey, president of Police Ordnance, the company based in Markham, Ont., that manufactures and distributes the gun worldwide.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080816.wxweapon16/BNStory/National/home
