Less-Lethal Operational Scenarios for Law Enforcement

• NCJ Number: 232756
• Date Published: December 2010
• Length: 23 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2004-IJ-CX-K040
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Award: Less-Lethal Weapon Technology Review and Operational Needs Assessment

Annotation

This report presents the development of a finite set of operational scenarios or case studies that allows law enforcement to communicate needs to researchers, developers, and manufacturers in the form of operational requirements for non-lethal weapons, which resulted from an effort to put the military Measures of Effectiveness (MoE) Framework in a context acceptable to the law enforcement community.

Abstract

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) research organization was tasked to examine the feasibility and utility of non-lethal weapons (NLW) in peacekeeping and peace support operations. As a result, in September 1999, a policy on NLW was approved which set the parameters for the NATO SAS-035 study; a study to develop a mechanism that could determine the Measures of Effectiveness (MoE) of NLW in a robust and repeatable way and to develop a MoE Framework and an effects database structure. In 2004, the Third International Law Enforcement Forum (ILEF) explored less-lethal weapons database development and resource sharing; effectiveness and injury potential; tactics and use; and common standards for development, testing, training, and operational use. The resulting 14 recommendations from this forum contained 4 that were directly related to the work contained in the NATO study. With the acceptance of the SAS-035 Framework on MoE within NATO and operational efforts of the ILEF on behalf of law enforcement an effort was undertaken to blend the military MoE Framework to the needs of law enforcement. This report is the result of an effort to put the MoE Framework in a context acceptable to the law enforcement community. The report specifically focuses on the development of a finite set of operational scenarios as an integral part of a formalized thought process that allows law enforcement to more effectively communicate needs to researchers, developers, and manufacturers in the form of operational requirements. The focused efforts resulted in a concise product. The seven scenario worksheets capture useful operational input in a form consistent with the accepted NATO framework, but with a focus on United States law enforcement operational needs. Figure and appendix