Nonlethal Weapons and Their Role in Military Police Missions: Future, Fact, or Fantasy?

Military police face new missions where traditional weapons of minimum force are ineffective and deadly force is inappropriate. Nonlethal technologies such as polymer, calmative, and chemical agents, are being developed into antipersonnel and antimaterial weapons that can minimize and/or eliminate casualties and collateral damage. The DOD should exploit the development and use of nonlethal weapons and adapt them to military police missions. Many issues, however, must be addressed before nonlethal weapons are fully integrated into the military arsenal. Cost, practicality of use, environmental effects, and safety issues are just a few of the questions which must be answered. Additionally, tough policy, legal, and ethical problems must be tackled before nonlethal weapons may be used on a daily basis. These concerns and problems are not insurmountable. The sooner the issues are addressed, the sooner military police will gain greater flexibility in response to their nontraditional missions. Nonlethal weapons cannot be developed in a DOD vacuum. It will benefit the DOD to enter into a "marriage of convenience" with civilian law enforcement agencies such as the Department of Justice.