Columbus Police Department is using these 40mm launchers that fires less-than-lethal spongelike projectiles, and the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department will purchase similar launchers after the county commissioners granted approval.
When county officials first heard the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department was seeking 30 44mm launchers, images of a military combat weapon came to more than just a few minds.
But what the department is doing is joining Columbus Police in obtaining a new non-lethal way of bringing a suspect under control, according to Maj. Brandon Slate, BCSD Major of Operations.
The Sheriff’s Department is obtaining a quantity of thirty 40mm “less lethal” launchers, Slate said. These launchers fire a lightweight, high-speed projectile consisting of a plastic body and sponge nose, according to the Defense Technology website.
Both the barrel of the launcher and the plastic have spiral grooves that allow the sponge-tipped projectile to spin while maintaining a consistent path, the website states. Using smokeless powder as the propellant, the weapon is recommended for use for crowd control, patrol and tactical applications by Defense Technology personnel.
The launchers and sponge-tipped projectiles will replace the department’s less lethal converted shotguns, which fire beanbags and are distinguished from traditional shotguns by their orange stocks and orange foregrips, Slate said.
According to Slate, the 30 44mm launchers are safer than the shotguns for two reasons:
- There has always been concern that a live round could somehow get mixed in the less lethal beanbag cartridges. Despite the orange features, the bean bag shotguns are still capable of firing live rounds.
- For safety purposes, an officer is supposed to be 20 to 25 feet from a suspect before firing a bean bag shotgun. In contrast, the 40mm launchers are safe to use up to five feet away.
In early November, the Columbus Police Department acquired about 60 less-lethal launchers, each costing $1,375, for a total of around $82,500. The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department is acquiring 30 less-lethal launchers, each costing $808, for a total of $24,250, after the Bartholomew County Commissioners authorized the purchase Monday.
While Slate did not provide the brand name or model of the launchers his department is buying, he did say they are being purchased from the Ray O’Herron Co. of Danville, Illinois. Two other bids were submitted for the launchers. One was for $27,390 while the other totaled $32,360.
The less-than-lethal launcher will be paid for with asset forfeiture funds, as well as the remaining funds in BCSD’s budget for this year, Slate said.
