When controlling inmates in a riot or other disturbance, the corrections industry is moving towards non-lethal technologies.  The Pepperball system from Jaycor Tactical Systems provides law enforcement, corrections, military or government officers with a safe and effective form of non-lethal compliance. 

Unlike beanbag rounds which rely solely on pain compliance, the Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) rounds of the Pepperball work threefold with a combination of kinetic energy, psychological shock, and OC powder.  Once a suspect feels the impact of the Pepperball projectiles, it gives the psychological feeling of being shot, combined with the effect of the powder which irritates the suspect's lungs and nose.  The OC powder's effects include coughing, shortness of breath, and possible vomiting and eye irritation. In most cases the symptoms last between five and ten minutes.  Pepperball launchers are available in pistol, semi-automatic rifles or select-fire rifles and are all accompanied with 90 assorted OC projectiles that are fired using either a High-Pressure Air (HPA) or CO2 bottle attached to the launcher. 

Pepperball's unique combination of kinetic energy and OC powder sets it apart from other non-violent compliance systems.  “With the system, you can decide to use both or even one or the other, “ says Director of Sales and Training for Jaycor, Craig Beery.  “The kinetic force alone may be enough to stop a suspect, but if not, adjusting how close you are can use both force and activate the release of OC powder,” says Beery.

“There has been a long movement towards non-lethal technology and unfortunately there haven't been many options,” says Beery.  “If a guy has a baseball bat or a knife or a prisoner has a shank, you don't want to be right in there.  [The Pepperball system] puts you further away from danger to use the powder.  If you order a suspect to come out and he doesn't, well then you would have to use the old methods of a SWAT team or something,” says Beery.  Pepperball provides an opportunity to create safer means of compliance in order to avoid potentially dangerous situations.

Jaycor recommends using firing four to 10 projectiles at the suspect upon first contact.  The suspect may require an additional four to 10 afterwards, but the company recommends introducing other methods of compliance after the second round has been fired.  Also, projectiles need not strike the suspect.  Striking projectiles off of nearby walls or other hard objects will release the OC powder and affect those within its range.  Jaycor is currently developing an “IceBreaker” projectile, which would shatter glass and precede the firing of OC projectiles into an automobile.

Each agency that purchases the Pepperball system is required to certify one or more officers as a Pepperball Instructor.  In order to meet certification requirements, each officer should fire between 30 and 50 rounds on each of the Pepperball launchers. 
 

Who's Using Pepperball?

Pepperball systems were recently used by the Seattle Police Department during the World Trade Organization meeting protests last year.   In fact, over one hundred agencies nationwide have purchased launchers and projectiles, including college campus police departments, such as San Diego State University.

Lieutenant Jim Topham of the Merrimack County (NH) Department of Corrections is a contract trainer for Jaycor and has recently trained fifty-seven officers from three states on the Pepperball system.  While currently putting together policy and procedures for his department on when to use the system, Lt. Topham praises the equipment for not only its safety, but also as an affordable source of non-lethal compliance equipment.

“I have absolutely no complaints.  Anytime you can bring in a non-lethal system [into a corrections facility], it is a great tool.  We've tested it in officer down, room clearing and cell extraction exercises and it's great,” says Topham. 

“You can bring the Pepperball system into a secure unit and even if Murphy's Law happens, I'm not going to hurt my own people as I could with a .357 if there is an accident.  The system is not a ‘weapon,' but a nice way of taking OC and using force from a distance,” says the fourteen-year law enforcement veteran.  “With a handheld aerosol, your range is only one to two feet.  With Pepperball, you can use it effectively from thirty feet away.”

Jaycor has issued five basic rules of safety while using the Pepperball system:
 

  1.Treat all PepperBall Launchers as though they are loaded.

  2. Keep your finger outside (above or below) the trigger guard until you are 
      on target and ready to fire. 

  3. Point the muzzle in a safe direction at all times. Use the 'laser rule' to keep 
      the PepperBall Launcher safe during operations. The laser rule: Always treat 
      the muzzle of the PepperBall Launcher as a laser gun with its beam on - 
      whatever the beam touches, it cuts through!

  4. Be sure of your target and what is beyond it. 

  5. Never target the head, throat, face, eyes, or spine.

Along with these guidelines, users of the launchers are encouraged to wear eye protection at all times as projectiles can reach velocities in excess of 380 feet per second.  Additional safety equipment recommended are face masks, throat and groin protection, as well as coveralls or long-sleeve sweatshirts to protect from accidental discharges and reduce bruises and welts.

In training sessions, users are instructed never to aim at the throat or face, but in case of an accident, the results are unlikely to be lethal.  Another positive aspect of the Pepperball launchers is that objects other than OC projectiles are unable to be fired, which can save lives if a slug or another foreign object is accidentally loaded.  This feature greatly decreases room for error and ensures safety to all users.  “Because the Pepperball is essentially a paintball launcher with .68 caliber capacity, no other ammunition is designed at that specification to fit in the launcher,“ says Beery.

Lt. Topham also feels that the system is very affordable, especially to smaller correctional facilities. “Once you buy the system and rounds, the pay is over.  It isn't like with a beanbag round or shotgun training, where you have to buy the equipment, find a site to train and other expenses.  I only need a classroom and a trash barrel with a T-shirt over it to train my people.  So many [launcher] bottles can be filled from one tank [of HPA or CO2] .  It's a smart thing to have,” says Topham.

“It's not a cure-all or save-all,” says Topham, “but it's to be used at one's disposal when needed.”
 

Resources

Craig Beery, Director of Sales and Training, Jaycor Tactical Systems, 
(858) 887-3773 , www.pepperball.com

Lt. Jim Topham, Merrimack County Department of Corrections, (603) 796-2107 ext. 223