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Byrna announces formation of a new global business unit that will focus on domestic and international law enforcement agencies and private security companies

Published: 09:20 15 Sep 2020 EDT

Byrna Technologies Inc. -
Leading Byrna's law enforcement business will be RJ Boatman, the group's executive vice president for Governmental Affairs from September 1, 2020

Byrna Technologies Inc. (OTCQB:BYRN) (CSE:BYRN) has announced the formation of a new global business unit that will focus on domestic and international law enforcement agencies and private security companies.  

This new division, Byrna LE will introduce the company's Byrna line of less-lethal weapons to domestic and international law enforcement agencies as well as to global private security companies and other professionally licensed entities.  With the recent deaths of unarmed civilians and the resulting civil unrest, there is strong community support across the United States for government entities to more broadly adopt the use of less-lethal weapon systems and tactics, the company said.. 

READ: Byrna Technologies sees record quarterly sales of US$4.2 million as order backlog for HD launcher increases

Byrna has developed a comprehensive multi-day training program for law enforcement officers including a focused 'Train the Trainer' (T3) program.  This program will seek to ensure that law enforcement officers understand how and where the Byrna HD fits into the 'Continuum of Force' and how they can use the Byrna HD and the available range of Byrna non-lethal projectiles to de-escalate a dangerous situation without the use of deadly force. 

Leading Byrna's law enforcement business will be RJ Boatman, the group's executive vice president for Governmental Affairs from September 1, 2020.  

Prior to joining the company in this capacity, he had been working with Byrna as a consultant for several months, spearheading the development of its law enforcement training program, and before that, he worked in law enforcement for more than 35 years.  

He is one of the most highly decorated law enforcement officers in the country, having served in the capacities of Chief of Police, Organized Crime Board Governor, Federal Task Force Director, Emergency Management Coordinator, State Education Director, Adjunct University Professor, Investigative Consultant and Municipal Judge.  Chief Boatman also received various awards and a number of certifications including, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Regional Award for Outstanding Service and the Gulf Coast Violent Offender Taskforce Award, and has been a qualified expert for courtroom testimony specializing in law enforcement policy, procedures and ethics, and the use and application of force in law enforcement. 

An alternative to using deadly force

in a statement, Boatman commented: "Police officers have long needed an alternative to using deadly force. Byrna is out in front of this swelling demand, offering what I believe to be the best alternative to lethal force that a law enforcement professional can carry every day.  Police frequently work in harsh environments and the Byrna HD is second to none in terms of reliability.  

"Also, relative to other less-lethal defense devices, a Byrna HD can be effectively deployed with a high degree of accuracy from a distance of more than 60 feet, which provides a law enforcement officer with two critical advantages when faced with a potentially dangerous and inflammatory situation: time and distance.  Another highly attractive attribute of the Byrna HD device is its versatility, with the ability to fire projectiles that deliver both the impact of a kinetic round and the disorienting effects of chemical agents, in a less-lethal manner.

"This versatility will allow law enforcement agencies to utilize the Byrna in a manner that better complies with the policies and procedures of their particular department."

He continued: "Even with several highly attractive characteristics, the Byrna HD, like any self defense device, is only as good as the capabilities of its user.  As such, we've developed a training program to equip police officers with the knowledge and skill set they need to safely and effectively utilize our device in their communities in a wide range of scenarios.  There are more than 700,000 police officers in the U.S. alone, and adding to that corrections and probation officers, private security firms and international law enforcement agencies, we believe that we have an extremely large addressable market.  More importantly, similar to our goal in marketing the Byrna HD to consumers for home safety and self-defense as an alternative to lethal force, our objective with our law enforcement business is to help police officers and citizens "Live Safe" within the communities where our devices are used."

Safer outcomes in potentially lethal situations

Bryan Ganz, CEO of Byrna Technologies added: "Now more than ever, it has become apparent that law enforcement professionals across the globe need more and better options to safely and effectively disarm assailants and de-escalate threats without needing to resort to lethal force.  Appropriately arming, educating and training our law enforcement and security officers, will give them the tools and training needed to handle a wide variety of situations and better equips them to make decisions and take actions leading to safer outcomes in potentially lethal situations, ultimately leading to stronger relationships with the communities they serve." 

"We're very fortunate that RJ has agreed to lead Byrna's introduction of the Byrna HD into the law enforcement arena.  We expect his extensive experience in law enforcement to help us establish and cultivate an increasingly strong rapport with numerous governmental and private agencies.  We believe his unique expertise in training with less-lethal methods of enforcement will make him invaluable in the education process surrounding the Byrna HD and potential new self-defense products our company may introduce," Ganz added.

The company also said it recently made its first large scale international sale of 1,100 Byrna HD launchers to a special purpose unit of the Hong Kong police after being selected from several competitive products that were tested. Based on requests for testing units by international law enforcement agencies, Byrna said it has confidence in the potential of the international market.

The Byrna HD is the company's first personal security device designed for the consumer and private security markets. It is engineered with patented designs and proprietary parts to provide an effective non-lethal option for home safety and personal security with the form factor of a compact handgun.

The device is easy to use, with virtually no recoil and can be fitted with a laser or light to facilitate accurate shooting even by non-gun owners. It is not a "firearm" and does not require a background check but it is subject to certain state and local regulation.

Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com

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