Calgary police to add non-lethal projectile guns to arsenal

Some Calgary police officers will soon be armed with less lethal weapons.

The Calgary Police Service wants to add about 80 projectile guns to itsarsenal over the next two years, as a way to give officers less-lethal options when resolving dangerous conflicts.

The plan calls for training 160 patrol officers in the use of the weapons.

Chief Roger Chaffin says the weapons will be similar to sock guns already being used in Edmonton and Lethbridge.

"You go from bean bags to more precise projectiles. We're going to look for something that creates distance, that creates some level of accuracy,so the round goes where we aim it," he said.

'Not silver bullets'

Chaffin says the objectiveis to get the maximum effect through pain compliance, but he stresses the projectile guns won't always be the best option.

"These are not silver bullets, they're not going to fix every situation, but they're providing more and more options."

Police commission chair Brian Thiessen is impressed withthe plan.

"They've done the homework and they're going to be in a position to roll it out," he said.

Police say the policy and training curriculum for implementing the new weapons have already been drafted.

The plan is anticipated to cost $360,000.

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