San Diego -- PepperBall Technologies today announced that Austin Housing Patrol, an Alhambra, Calif.-based private security agency, has provided its officers with PepperBall's non-lethal weapons. It is the first private security agency in California to use PepperBall products.
PepperBall recently began marketing its line of non-lethal weapons to the private security industry.
Harry E. Holmsten, owner of Austin Housing Patrol, said he chose PepperBall products to provide his armed officers with non-lethal options while in the field.
"The PepperBall system allows us to deal with violent subjects and/or vicious animals without having to immediately resort to using our batons or firearms," he said. "We feel nothing is as important as a human life and we think the PepperBall solution increases not only our officers' safety, but also the safety of the general public. We have the Pepperball equipment in every patrol car."
Austin Housing Patrol provides armed patrol, seven days a week to homeowners' associations, mobile home parks, apartment buildings, commercial properties, and private residences in suburban communities east of Los Angeles.
"We are pleased to have Austin Housing Patrol join the growing number of private security companies across the country that are employing the non- lethal solutions offered by PepperBall," said George Burkle, general manager of PepperBall Technologies.
The PepperBall line of products are being employed by private security end- users to better patrol and secure perimeters, probe the intent of non- compliant individuals, protect against crowd uprisings; manage inmate populations, protect students and personnel and more. PepperBall products also are currently in use by more than 3,000 law enforcement agencies around the world.
PepperBall products use unique Chem-netics? technology to effectively achieve subject compliance. Affected individuals experience the psychological shock of being "shot," the powerful yet less-than-lethal kinetic impact of a hard frangible round, and the release of potent PAVA (capsaicin II) pepper super-irritant. These combined affects make PepperBall products extremely effective while lowering the level of kinetic impact relied upon by other less-than-lethal products. PepperBall products can also be used without impact to create contained clouds of PAVA for breaking barricades or extracting unauthorized individuals from secured premises.
