In an effort to increase public safety, Cape Girardeau police added some new weapons to their arsenal this month with the purchase of assault rifles, tire deflation devices and upgraded shotguns for use by patrol officers.

In the past, the tire deflation equipment Cape Girardeau officers had at their disposal were two steel briefcaselike devices that opened to reveal rows of steel spikes, but they were problematic at best, Capt. Roger Fields said.

Safety goggles and thick leather gloves had to be worn to handle the device, and the department only had two of them, so there was never one accessible or convenient during a vehicle pursuit, Fields said.

He couldn't recall an instance where they were actually ever used, he said.

The new equipment, a brand called Stop Stick, allows officers to deploy them during a pursuit without putting themselves at risk.

The Stop Sticks cost $369 per unit, a total of about $15,000 to equip every patrol vehicle, Fields said.

According to the product Web site, an 80-foot cord allows the deploying officer to stand a safe distance from the road, and hollow, Teflon-coated quills act as valves, releasing air at a controlled rate rather than a blowout.

More than 14,000 pursuits ended safely because of these devices, the Web site said.

At a training for the new equipment, Fields instructed officers to use caution when beginning a pursuit, such as attempting to apprehend a dangerous felon.

The Stop Stick cannot be used against motorcycles or all-terrain vehicles unless the situation merits deadly force, because there is no carriage protecting the driver in the event of a crash.

Fields said the department generally has an average of about five vehicle pursuits a year.

Joining an effort across the nation to better arm police for the possibility of facing suspects who may carry high-powered assault weapons, the police department also purchased 25 patrol rifles, Sgt. Barry Hovis said.

Though officers will still rely on handguns and shotguns as their primary weapons, the new rifles will be accessible as a way of matching bigger weapons that may be out there, Fields said.

The rifles are AR-15s, the civilian version of the military M-16 rifles. They are semi-automatic weapons that allow for more accuracy at an extended range, Hovis said.

The cost was about $20,350, he said.

Now, it's a matter of making sure all of the officers are trained and qualified with the new weapons, though a handful already have either military training or have completed their qualifications, Hovis said.

The shotguns used by police officers got an upgrade this year as well. New Remington Model 870 shotguns were purchased this year, 27 for patrol use, and two equipped with a few extras for the Special Response Team. These shotguns come equipped with a pistol grip and a light with pressure switch for nighttime use.

The shotguns cost about $14,500, Hovis said.

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