Jamshedpur: City police have a new weapon in their arsenal. The pepperball launcher is a non-lethal device, used by police in the US, China and several European nations, to manage unruly crowds.
Pepperball launchers shoot projectiles that contain a powdered chemical. It causes irritation in the eyes and nose like when a pepper spray is used.
The launchers, which were tested East Singhbhum SSP Anoop Birtharay on Tuesday evening at the Golmuri police barracks, will be used by personnel of the Quick Response Team (QRT) deployed in communally sensitive areas across the state during the festivals.
"The pepperball launchers are similar to paintball guns which we received from the police headquarters in Ranchi recently. At the moment, we have nine such launchers which will be used for mob control," said Birtharay.
"The launchers have distinct advantages over rubber pellets and water cannons since it do not lead to injuries and only causes irritation of eyes, nose and respiratory system for a few minutes, enough to disperse a violent crowd," he added.
The launchers look similar to an automatic carbine gun. The balls are payload of a powdered chemicals that disperses on impact and causes irritation in eyes, nose and throat.
A DSP-rank officer said the cartridges can be fired from a distance of around 100 feet and its effect is felt in a radius of 150sqft approximately.
"It is ideal for controlling mobs. A standard pepperball magazine can hold up to eight projectiles and the firing operation of the weapon can be fully automatic or semi-automatic. Earlier, we used water cannons, tear gas canisters and batons to manage a mob. But since a tear gas shell needs a couple of minutes to begin action, which gave the agitators enough time to throw back the shells at the police teams. Similarly, rubbers bullets led to injuries giving cops a bad name," the DSP said.
State police spokesperson and ADG (operations) R.K. Mallick said the launchers had been sent to other communally sensitive districts including Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Dhanbad and Bokaro.
"The state police headquarters has sent pepperball launchers to communally sensitive districts. It is a very effective tool to control a violent mob," said the spokesperson.
