The city of Mesa is purchasing more than 80 semi-automatic pepper-ball launchers as part of a pilot program to test and use them for non-lethal crowd dispersal.
The Mesa City Council voted unanimously Nov. 20 as part of a consent agenda with other items to approve a $250,000 contract with Safeware Inc. for 84 PepperBall TAC-SA (tactical semi-automatic) launchers and other required equipment.
Under Senate Bill 1720, the Arizona state treasurer appropriated $250,000 to the Mesa Police Department as one of three cities to pilot a pepper-ball program.
