By Dallas Rodgers
MELBOURNE — The Victoria Police are undertaking a six-month trial of a controversial chemical weapon. The police claim it's a non-lethal weapon for subduing violent criminals, but courts in the US, where the chemical is used, have categorised it as deadly force.
Capsicum gas is an agent which has been around since 1915 but has only recently been promoted by weapons manufacturers and distributors as an alternative to other chemical weapons.
As yet its full effects are not known though some limited scientific research indicates that it has a strong possibility of creating permanent impairments in those who come into contact with it.
So far it is the short-term effects which make this agent so attractive to police. Capsaicin is the active chemical ingredient in the capsicum gas as well as the ingredient which is responsible for the burning taste in chillies. Sprayed into the face of a person, it has a number of harmful effects. These include:
* Damage to skin and nerves causing intense pain and/or numbness. There is evidence to suggest that it causes permanent neurone (nerve cell) damage and consequent loss of normal senses.
* Damage to the respiratory system, causing coughing and lung swelling. The gas makes it very difficult to breath adequately. This can have serious or fatal consequences to asthmatics, who make up 10% of the population.
* Damage to the eyes and nose. Once capsaicin comes into contact with the mucous membranes in the eyes or nose it causes intense pain. Exposure for long periods causes blistering and rashes.
It is easy to see how useful the gas would be to police, as it would render a person virtually incapable of seeing and breathing.
Many more side effects have been listed in a report released by the Coalition Against Repressive Police Equipment and Training (CARPET). Co-author of the 29-page report and founder of CARPET Damien Lawson states, "This is the trend in many police forces, to acquire paramilitary-style equipment or the militarisation of police".
Armaments companies, mainly in the US, are pushing these substances for use by police. In a recent seminar in Sydney, attended by police and security personnel, capsicum gas was used on "volunteer" victims. A training coordinator at the Smith & Wesson training academy was flown out from the US to talk on the benefits of such an agent.
One of the main concerns with the introduction of the new weapon is the lack of community consultation. The Victoria Police began calling for this gas after fatally shooting two mentally disturbed people wielding knives. Instead of looking at their training methods or even considering the removal of firearms, the response of police is to call for more weapons.
The deputy commissioner for operations, Bob Falconer, was quoted in the Age as saying, "This additional defensive tool will be another option in our use of force continuum but should not be construed as a replacement or alternative to a baton or firearm in all situations".
The police claim the capsicum gas would be used to subdue violent criminals. However, their actions against the peaceful protesters outside the Richmond Secondary College on December 13 indicate that it would be used against protesters and on union picket lines.
Another frightening aspect is that no new legislation or parliamentary debate is required for this gas to be introduced. Once the police minister gives approval, they may begin its use. Damien Lawson stated, "One of the main purposes of CARPET and the report is to encourage community debate".
CARPET intends to hold a number of public debates beginning in a few weeks. It hopes to attract as many people as possible, especially from the legal, medical, political and police areas, to generate a broad and accessible debate.
A copy of the report, called "Capsicum Gas: Should the police have another weapon?" may be obtained by writing to the Coalition Against Repressive Police Equipment and Training, GPO Box 695E, Melbourne 3001.