Tonight, Feb. 11, the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) will hold its third and final informational meeting about a pilot program that could equip officers with stun guns. While Tasers have been a focus of discussions, the SFPD also sent the San Francisco Police Commission a list of other “nonlethal” weapon systems it’s considered, and we got a copy of it this afternoon. Here’s a rundown of the alternatives the cops have contemplated.
Karbon Arms manufactures a “Multi-purpose Immobilization Device,” which is similar to a Taser. Pricetag: $599 per unit.
PepperBall sells a projectile system firing Capsaicin II irritant via a launcher, “similar to a paintball-style weapon,” according to an information sheet provided by SFPD. Pricetag: $900-$1200 per unit.
FN Herstal Group offers a combination chemical or impact launcher that is “offers a very high probability of a torso hit at 50 meters (150 feet),” according to the product description. Pricetag: $775.98 per unit.
Piexon sells the JPX, “a new approach to enhance the performance of common pepper spray canisters.” (No price given)
Phazzer (pronounced “fazer”)sells a variety of “cartridge-loaded holster weapons that can load variable loads,” as the SFPD information sheet eloquently puts it, “including impact, pepper (chemical), and electrical (stun) modes.” (No price given)
Talon This is the weirdest one of them all. Talon makes the Super Talon, a “one-shot launcher that fires a 3 pound, 13.5-foot Kevlar/nylon mix net from an effective range of 10 feet. Net gun spreads an ‘unbreakable’ net over resistor, and the more the subject struggles, the more he becomes entangled.” Pricetag: $1,686 per unit.
Here’s what the Super Talon looks like on the street:
Tonight’s informational hearing is from 6-8pm at the Bayview Opera House, 4705 Third Street in San Francisco.