the webmaster adds his notes plus a few snips from an article on the use of OC pepper spray by the police titled
USE OF FORCE
OC Spray Update
in the June 2001 issue of LAW and ORDER on page 28
by Ed Nowicki ncjtc@aol.com
OC is a big word for oleoresin capsicum which is the stuff that makes chile peppers hot.
The article says that OC pepper spray is effective 80-85% of the time it is used. And that when it doesn't work it was usually because the police officer used the spray incorrectly.
Flammability can be a legitimate issue with an OC spray if used in conjunction with an electronic stun gun or taser if the OC spray has a alcohol base. (I can just see the jokes the cops are making about cooking people when spraying and zapping them at the same time as they violate the civil rights of some minority)
Some cop training programs require officers to be sprayed with OC. Valid points are if the cop gets this stuff in his eyes and lungs they are more likely to empathize with someone they spray, and if they are sprayed during field use they will not panic from the pain and continue to fight. Also officers who are sprayed the realize first hand that OC spray is not 100% effective and they shouldn't be overly dependent on the spray. (Civil Rights activists remember this and get some pepper spray in your eyes and lungs during Civil Rights training. I guess that should also be a note to Blacks and other minoritys who are targeted by racisit cops).
The article states their are five basic OC peppery spray delivery pattern:
The cone and fogger work best because it gets the pepper spray into a persons lungs in addition to their eyes. The down side is when its windy they are hard to aim.
The stream and splatter work well in the wind but don't provide the respiratory effects.
How hot oleoresin capsicum (OC) or chile peppers are is measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU).
Chile Habaneros peppers are the hottest chile peppers in the world and weigh in at from 100,000 to 130,000 Scoville Heat Units. Jalapeno peppers are rather wimpy and weigh in at less then 50,000 Scoville Heat Units.
The article says the pepper spray used in most police OC pepper aerosol sprays contains between 5 to 10 percent active OC. This pepper spray is usually rated between 500,000 to 2,500,000 Scoville Heat Units. (those numbers are straight from the article, author Ed Nowicki must have learned his math at a government school)
The article says that most OC pepper spray canisters used by the police contain between two and four ounces of Oleoresin Capsicum spray.
The article mentions that some pepper spray canisters also contain CS. I think CS is tear gas but I'm not certain. The article didn't explain what CS is.