When designing the Pro V2 tool specifically for the security industry, our team set out to build an Enhanced Non-Lethal (ENL) device that would transform the security officer’s duty belt, on par with the metamorphosis we’ve seen in mobile phones since the turn of the century. In 2000, Nokia 3210’s groundbreaking internal antenna and predictive text messaging sold approximately 160 million phones, and the prospect of combining a phone with a camera was laughable.
Fifteen years later, and three years in the making, the Pro V2 is the first ENL tool that revolutionizes professional security tools by combining two-way communications, recording capabilities and alerts, and Oleoresin Capsicum (OC, or pepper spray).
We chose OC for three reasons:
- OC is highly effective. A field assessment of OC usefulness sponsored by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) found that its use in confrontational encounters effectively incapacitates aggressive suspects. The study findings also suggest that the use of OC reduced the incidence of assaults on police officers, injuries to both officers and suspects, and use of force or complaints registered against the officers.
- OC is the safest defensive technology used by officers. The media’s association between OC use and in-custody deaths has been debunked by medical research conducted by the University of California, San Diego, and supported by the NIJ. The study found no significant risk for respiratory compromise or asphyxiation associated with OC, even when combined with restraint. The study explored factors such as body weight, asthma, and history of smoking. In a separate study the NIJ examined a sample of in-custody deaths that occurred subsequent to OC exposure and excluded the agent as a contributory factor.
- We knew we could make OC delivery better. We engineered a precise delivery system for OC targeting that includes laser aiming and a stream (rather than cone) disbursement. Pro V2’s precision stream uses 1/40ththe amount of product used in traditional, 2.5 oz canisters to reduce OC overspray or cross-contamination, which can disrupt a hospital’s delivery of critical patient care.
A more detailed comparison of an Enhanced Non-Lethal tool such as the Pro V2 versus non-lethal alternatives, including traditional OC pepper spray, is included in the below infographic.
At Guardian 8, it’s our belief that the Pro V2 is the gold standard of ENL devices, but don’t just take our word for it. When it comes to evaluating what works best for your hospital, we encourage a hands-on evaluation to accurately assess the product’s capabilities.