In an effort to better the relationship between the community and the police department, Miami Beach officials have announced the force will stop using lethal shotguns and will instead be using bean bag shotguns.
With officers forced to make life or death decisions in a matter of seconds, the chief of police says the weapon allows officers to incapacitate a person and take them into custody before hurting someone else or themselves.
"We have an obligation to be constantly looking for different options to move the organization forward and reduce the potential of inadvertently harming somebody," Chief Dan Oates said.
The new non-lethal weapons will replace 140 patrol lethal shotguns and work better than stun guns, which require officers to be within 12 feet of a subject. The shotgun range is up to 70 feet.
"It creates greater space and distance for the office, and is another compassionate way to take someone into custody without having to use deadly force or expose the officer to that kind of grave danger," Oates said.
With the new shotguns comes new training, which will last six weeks.
