A Batman-style gun that wraps people with near-unbreakable cord has been offered to law enforcement agencies as an alternative to tasers and pepper spray, but human rights advocates warn such weapons were unlikely to reduce the likelihood of lethal force.

Key points: A new Batman-style wrapping device is being promoted in Australia as a less painful alternative to low-lethal weaponry

A new Batman-style wrapping device is being promoted in Australia as a less painful alternative to low-lethal weaponry Human rights advocates believe such weapons give police false confidence and reduce their negotiation skills

Human rights advocates believe such weapons give police false confidence and reduce their negotiation skills Victorian police have recently ramped up their range of low-lethal weapons, such as semi-automatic pepper rifles

Arizona-based Wrap Technologies demonstrated its device — a handheld gadget that fires a 2.4-metre Kevlar cord at high velocity to entangle a target — to police departments across five Australian states last month

With two grappling hooks at either end, the cord hits a target at 195 metres per second at a range of up to eight metres. It then wraps around the person and restrains their arms or legs.

The company's chief operating officer Michael Rothans said the "bolawrap" offered police a level of force that was not reliant on administering pain, such as tasers, pepper sprays, baton and rubber bullets, and had been designed for mental health situations in particular.

"Officers have many pain compliance tools, but they don't have anything to be used earlier to control a subject's movement, before those pain compliant tools are necessary to be used.

If this device seems familiar, it's because a similar device was portrayed in the Hollywood Batman film franchises, in which the caped crusader wrapped his targets in cord to stop them in their tracks.

But Human Rights Law Centre executive director Hugh de Kretser said the usage of so-called "less lethal" weapons had not prevented dangerous situations escalating in the past.

He said the close proximity required to use a bolawrap could create a dangerous situation for police who may have a "false sense of confidence" in their arsenal.

"We know from experience that the keys to resolving incidents safely, particularly involving people who are mentally unwell, are time and distance," Mr de Kretser said.

"But these weapons can encourage police to rush in quickly in the expectation they can subdue a person.

"When the weapon fails to work properly, and this happens often with tasers, a fatal confrontation is then more likely.

"In many jurisdictions, police firearms use actually went up after tasers were introduced."

Victorian police load up

Victorian police last year showcased their latest arsenal of crowd control weapons, including stinger grenades, capsicum canisters and a semi-automatic pepper ball rifle.

The rifle could also fire a foam projectile from a distance to "deal with individuals or crowds engaging in violent behaviour" and use dye to "mark offenders".

Victorian police armed with pepper rifles subdue a man during far-right and anti-racism rallies in January. ( Photo: Charandev Singh )

A spokesperson said the "innovative new crowd control equipment gave police increased capacity to intervene in situations where people's behaviour put the community or police in danger".

"Extensive research has gone into selecting this equipment and we are confident our choices are effective in addressing current and emerging trends affecting public order policing," she said.

"We are aware of emerging technologies such as bolawrap, however, this is not something we are actively exploring or planning to implement."

NSW police did not say whether they would consider the bolawrap but said it constantly reviewed equipment issued to officers and evaluated "technologies as they were made available".

The bolawrap cord is designed to restrain a target's arms or legs. ( YouTube: Wrap Technologies )

Capsicum 'usage creep'

Mr de Kretser said less-lethal weapons were typically introduced for a limited purpose, that is to be an alternative to firearms when the use of force becomes unavoidable.

"But over time there is usage creep and they are used in situations that [they] were never originally intended," he said.

"This happened with capsicum spray."

Capsicum, or pepper spray, can create a burning sensation on the skin, shortness of breath, the forced closure of eyes and the swelling of mucous membranes.

It was originally introduced by police for riot control. But criticism has been extended to officers across multiple states for their usage of pepper spray, including SA Police during the Beverly uranium mine protests of 2010.

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In February NSW police used pepper spray on students surging into a building while protesting a speech by former education minister Christopher Pyne.

A NSW police spokesperson said they had no specific approach to any particular protest but unlawful behaviour would not be tolerated.

"We support the rights of individuals and groups to protest peacefully, but not when it impedes on their safety and the safety of others," a NSW police spokesperson said.

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Tasers can kill

The use of tasers has also been heavily criticised, with multiple taser-related deaths recorded in Australia since their introduction around 2000.

Tasers have been used in Australia since they were released in 1999. ( Dave Hunt, file photo: AAP )

But the Victorian Police spokesperson said tasers or conducted energy devices (CEDs) had proven to be an "effective tactical option in various situations where police are required to defuse high-risk incidents".

"Often the presentation of a CED alone is enough to safely resolve situations involving uncooperative, aggressive or armed offenders without requiring further force," she said.

Mr de Krester said proper training and planning was required for police to minimise the force they used, including in protest situations.

"People participating in peaceful protests have a right to be safe and free from violence," he said.

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Police have a tough job

Mr de Krester said police do "a job that is often tough and there are many examples of brilliant policing where difficult situations are resolved by outstanding de-escalation and 'cordon and contain' tactics".

"The problem with less lethal weapons is they can undermine these skills and tactics and make confrontations, involving risks of serious injury or death, more likely."

Police Accountability Project chief executive officer Anthony Kelly said one of the primary imperatives for law enforcement while policing a situation was to feel like they were in control.

"If police feel like they're losing control and they have this sort of weaponry available, then there is a potential likelihood they'll use it, whether the protest is totally disciplined and non-violent, or it's unruly," he said.

While acknowledging there were some situations where less-lethal weapons could be necessary, he was concerned that police could lose their verbal escalation skills by relying on weaponry — even those reported by their makers to be less painful, like the bolawrap.

He pointed out that teachers, mental health and youth workers had managed to get by without such weaponry.

"All of these trained workers respond to aggression and threat in ways that don't rely on physical violence and restraint," Mr Kelly said.