Temple PD considers handsfree restraint device

Temple Police Officers may soon add a new piece of technology to their belts, which will hopefully lead to safer interactions for both officers and subjects they interact with. 

“Anytime we can provide a tactical advantage for officers when making an arrest or detaining somebody where we don’t have to put hands on them or end up in a close-quarters combat situation, that’s a win-win in my opinion,” Temple Police Chief Shawn Reynolds said. 

The product is called BolaWrap. It temporarily distracts and restrains subjects by projecting an 8-foot cord that wraps around a person’s arms or legs, giving officers enough time to approach the subject and apply handcuffs. Representatives from the company recently visited Temple PD to give a demonstration of the product. 

“BolaWrap is intended to be used from 10-25 feet to de-escelate a situation,” BolaWrap Master Instructor Rodney Sherrod said. “If you think of all the tools a police officer are equipped with, all of them cause pain to gain compliance. This does not. This is just a temporary immobilization to get people the help that they need.” 

BolaWrap is intended to be used in situations where subjects are passively resisting. It gives officers an opportunity to safely detain a subject before they can harm themselves or others. 

“I think it provides a distinct advantage as a distraction and an ability to restrain someone’s freedom of movement,” Reynolds said. “We don’t want to fight folks and we certainly don’t want to hurt folks. If this technology provides an advantage and makes folks safer, we’re certainly willing to give it a shot.” 

Chief Reynolds will continue meeting with members of the department and City leadership to determine if BolaWrap will be come part of Temple Police Officers’ toolbelts. 

“As the Temple Police Department, we are dedicated to constantly evaluating things – policy, procedures and new technology that makes our lives for our citizens and our police officers safer,” Reynolds said. “We’re going to evaluate this with our instructors, police officers and supervisors to determine whether or not this product provides a good benefit for us.”