Hundreds of corrections and law enforcement officers took part in the 2009 Mock Prison Riots, honing skills, learning new techniques and demonstrating and evaluating new equipment. For example, twenty officers were certified by the TASER training team on the new TASER® Shockwave™ area denial system and 61 officers were certified on the new TASER® XREP™ wireless shotgun projectiles.  

A K-9 unit stands ready to break up a hostage situation

Over the course of the four-day event, I observed five training scenarios. Two of the training scenarios were staged in the cell blocks, with one scenario simulating 15 inmates refusing lockdown and the other simulating a situation where a guard was taken hostage by a group of inmates. During the hostage scenario, the rescue team brought in a K-9 unit, and it was so compelling to see how the dog scared the inmates into submission. I have a much better understanding and greater respect for the effectiveness and power of a well-trained K-9.

I also watched a scenario where a bus with inmates onboard broke down. The CERT (Corrections Emergency Response Team) threw smoke screens and flash bangs to distract the inmates so they could get on the bus and regain control. Yet another scenario was in the dining hall, where inmates started fighting and barricaded the doors to the hall. There were three teams of CERT officers who entered the dining hall and used both chemical and non-lethal devices to contain the situation.  

This is my second year in a row attending Mock Riots with TASER. I must say that Mock Riots is one of my favorite events to attend; the people that attend this event are so friendly and dedicated to their profession. These men and women have no fear of learning new skills, trying new equipment or even taking a voluntary exposure of a TASER electronic control device (ECD) — amazingly more than 200 people volunteered to feel the effects of our ECD technology.

CERT officers board a broken down bus full of inmates

All in all, in my opinion, this year’s Mock Prison Riots was again a huge success. It attracted numerous agencies from around the world, including Singapore, the United Kingdom, Japan, Egypt, the Bahamas and Canada. The impressive list of attendees also included training chiefs, tactical operators, and other industry experts.  

Four days goes quickly when you are at the Mock Prison Riots. It is a bit of a let-down now that the event is over; but the team from TASER International, including me, is already looking forward to coming back next year!

Arriving at the West Virginia Penitentiary, site of the Mock Prison Riots

Throughout the four day event, men and women who keep our nation safe are able to deploy emerging technologies during best practice tactical training scenarios. Some of these scenarios include: cell extractions, riot control, hostage rescue, conflict resolution, and both lethal and non-lethal situations.  

On Sunday, I joined more than a half dozen other TASER representatives for a day filled with setting up our trade show booth, painting targets and preparing for the upcoming scenarios. I was even able to attend a portion of the skills competition.  

Coming down the cargo net ladder on the skills course

I was doing a self-guided tour with other co-workers when we heard a lot of hollering and yelling coming from the obstacle course in the south yard. Our curiosity had us, so ventured over to see what was going on. We found a five-man emergency response team midway through the obstacle course. These guys were physically exhausted from crawling through tunnels, climbing up a cargo net ladder, dragging and carrying a dummy and climbing up a wall. They were pushing their exhaustion levels to the extreme — one guy looked like he was going to hurl. His face was beat red, his buddies where trying to encourage him to keep going and no one in the group was going to leave this fellow officer behind.  

The dedication and drive these individuals exhibit is remarkable. They choose to work in jails where offenders resist authority and where they always have to watch their backs and their partner’s every movement. It amazed me, that as I was leaving, I discovered I have a whole new level of respect for these individuals.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@TASERHilary) for up-to-the-minute updates from the 2009 Mock Prison Riots. I’ll be sharing hard hitting videos of inmate take downs, results of the skills competition (the Singapore team is looking strong), and exciting new facts that you might not have known about our prison system.

The TASER Shockwave

The Shockwave is the first generation of TASER Remote Area Denial™ (TRAD) technology. At the push of a button, the Shockwave deploys multiple TASER cartridges across an area arc. The idea is to be able to control multiple targets from one source.

Initially, we see this product as being ideal for law enforcement crowd control, military checkpoints and correctional institutions. We hope to equip these segments with a new tool to deal with response to resistance situations.

The actual unit is not very big (about 3 feet high when fully stacked) and is not very heavy, making the Shockwave easy to transport. Each cartridge is deployed in a 20 degree arc with a distance of 25 feet. It’s capable of being operated  at a distance of up to 330 feet from the device via a Control Box. The NMI lasts for the standard five-seconds and can be reinitiated using the Re-Energize Button if need be.

While it may not be getting as much attention as some of the other TASER products that are coming to market later this year, the Shockwave is an effective new use of  TASER technology that is ready for action.

But that’s not all we’ve got going on. In addition to AXON and EVIDENCE.com, we’ve been hard at work finding new ways to employ the NueroMuscular Incapacitation technology that TASER is best associated with. We’ve been in the process of preparing products like the TASER® Shockwave™ and TASER® XREP™ for market. Even though these products won’t be available until the third or fourth quarter of this year, the buzz is building. Here are few of the highlights:

Don’t Tape Me, Bro! — Aaron Rowe from Wired.com covered AXON and EVIDENCE.com on the day of the announcement. 

TASER enters the data (business) – Lindsey J. Bertomen from PoliceOne gives his perspective on AXON and EVIDENCE.com.

Engadget imagines the effect AXON could have on the television show COPS. 

Scott over at Spartan Cops put together a fantastic breakdown of AXON and EVIDENCE.com.

Mark Wilson from Gizmodo and commenters muse about the possibility of an AXON for consumers.

The New Scientist (a U.K.-based technology publication) caught wind of the XREP and wrote this post.