Miami Police unveil new tool to de-escalate situations without use of excessive force

MIAMI ā€“ After a year where the spotlight has been on policing nationwide, City of Miami Police are introducing a new tool to keep the community safe before any use of excessive force is necessary.

The new tool, the BolaWrap, is not a weapon, but an apprehension tool to subdue people who are dealing with a mental health crisis, according to City of Miami Police. For example: people on drugs, or people who are intoxicated.

ā€œThis is another option that can help us bring the person into custody, and, quite frankly, itā€™s not even a use of force,ā€ explains City of Miami Police Chief Art Acevedo.

Wrap Technologies CEO and city officials came together at a news conference, Thursday, to demonstrate the new apprehension tool.

ā€œRather than escalating and having to use a taser or pepper spray, or, ultimately a firearm, we are trying to avoid that,ā€ says Wrap Technologies CEO Tom Smith.

ā€œWe want to affectively be able to apprehend people,ā€ says City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. ā€œWe want to bring people to justice.ā€

The goal of the tool is to avoid any excessive force arrest, especially at a time when policing is under the microscope.


About the Author
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Joseph Ojo joined Local 10 in April 2021. Born and raised in New York City, he previously worked in Buffalo, North Dakota, Fort Myers and Baltimore.

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