FCPD Piloting Remote Restraint Device

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The Fairfax County Police Department began piloting a hand-held tool called BolaWrap. The device is intended to be utilized to restrain uncooperative suspects or individuals experiencing a mental health crisis from a distance. BolaWrap is a hand-held remote restraint device that discharges an eight-foot-wide bola style Kevlar tether to entangle an individual at an optimal range of 10-25 feet.

This low-level control device is intended for individuals displaying passive or active resistance. Officers may use the BolaWrap to initially restrain an individual to take them into custody. The intent of this device is to safely take an individual into custody prior to an incident escalating.

Currently, FCPD has 30 BolaWraps assigned throughout our district stations and to our Crisis Intervention Team. Officers assigned to carry the BolaWrap must receive training from our Criminal Justice Academy prior to being assigned this equipment. Our pilot will continue until April 2023.

“FCPD continues to seek the latest advancements in our profession to prepare our officers for situations they encounter. Every day officers utilize verbal skills and de-escalation tactics  to resolve situations peacefully. The Bolawrap device provides another potential tool for officers to safely take someone into custody when individuals present harm to themselves or others. We look forward to continuing this pilot and identifying other ways to aid our officers, keeping them and the community safe.” Major Brooke Wright, Director, Criminal Justice Academy.  

For more information about BolaWrap, please visit their site here.