In December, ONEOK, Inc. provided the East Grand Forks Police Department with an Emergency Responder Grant of $2,100 to purchase two BolaWrap devices for the Department’s Patrol staff. These devices have been received and will be deployed for the use of the East Grand Forks officers as soon as training with them has been completed.
The BolaWrap is a restraint device that can be used with non-compliant subjects and can help to limit the amount of force that law enforcement may have to use when taking a non-compliant person into custody. The BolaWrap discharges a Kevlar cord that wraps around the subject, limiting their movement, and allowing the officers to more safely (for the officers and the subject) approach the subject and take them into custody.
The makers of BolaWrap, Wrap Technologies, suggests that the BolaWrap may be effective in a variety of law enforcement situations including:
- Emotionally Disturbed Persons (EDP)
- Passively resistant and non-compliant subjects
- Mildly aggressive, non-compliant subjects
- Mentally ill subjects
- Suicidal subjects/Persons in crisis
- Subjects under the influence of alcohol and drugs
While BolaWrap cannot be used in all situations, the Department believes it can be an effective tool for their officers as they seek to better protect the community and their officers. The EGFPD sincerely thanks ONEOK and the ONEOK Foundations for their support of the Police Department.
