20 years ago very few people worried about being mugged or attacked with a cattle prod, the thought of electricity as a weapon was still new. Now, across the United States and abroad it is happening. Maybe it is because stun guns and stuns batons are nonlethal or cheap. Maybe it is because they are available where guns are not or it could just be a combination of all of those. In an odd sort of way, it is a very strong endorsement as to its effectiveness.

Stun guns and stun batons both work on the same principal; 800,000 volts will get your attention. That sounds like it is enough electricity to turn you into charcoal but it is not and here is why. Electricity has volts and amps. You can raise the volts by lowering the amps. In the case of stun guns and stun batons they have only the tiniest of amps because the volts are so high. There is an old electricians’ adage that says “Volts don’t kill you, amps do”.

Both stun guns and stun batons have a place in law enforcement, but the stun baton has some advantages.

- Stun batons are a better close quarters weapon. In places with crowds the stun gun becomes ineffective. In a place like a crowed street, a short little tap can encourage two men about to fight to step down. Also places like jail and prison the stun baton is a better choice.

- Its easier to control the amount of charge used. Many times it just takes a quick bump to get someone’s attention and make them not want to find out what the stun baton can really do.

- It is more intimidating. A stun gun does not look that scary. Any baton, stun or otherwise, is still basically a big scary stick. It is always better to intimidate someone into submission than to have to resort to violence.

- It can be used on multiple assailants. Rather than being attached to one person, the office can “correct” multiple people. In a near riot situation that ability is crucial.

Electric weapons such as stun guns and stun batons are starting to play a larger role in law enforcement because they are not only effective but nonlethal. Used properly and in the right situation they protect both the officer and the suspect buy reducing the need to use more violent and dangerous options.

Law enforcements worldwide are finding increasing use for metal detectors for deterring criminal activities and solving cases.

Great Britain Goes After Knife Crime
Using hand-carry metal detectors, which are commonly seen at airports, is one of the courses of action taken by Jacqui Smith, Home Secretary, as part of the Tackling Violence Action Plan.

Other preventive and protection measures that have been included in plan are providing parents access to criminal records and other pertinent data of pedophiles as well as procedures that are expected to deter binge drinkers from committing any acts of violence.

Metal detectors to be used are actually not handheld but made of collapsible and portable mobile arches. They can be stored inside the trunks of police cars then taken out whenever they’re called for. They are expected to be used outside schools, night clubs, pubs, and other establishments where knives may be potentially used for perpetrating crimes of any kind.

Fears of knife-related crimes have grown as statistics show an increase in such incidents. In 2005-2005, 219 knife-related cases have been reported. This has grown to 258 for the next year.

Knife crime, a Home Office spokesperson says, is something that “the government…takes very seriously.” Maximum sentence for individuals caught carrying a knife has been raised from two to four years. £1m has also been spent for a youth campaign against carrying weapons, one that would hopefully make clear to teenagers that carrying a knife only makes it a greater possibility for them to become a victim of violence themselves.

Handheld detectors, however, will be also used. At an underground station in East London, law enforcement officers have been seen to scan commuters for weapons as they get off the train.

While the use of metal detectors is hoped to deter armed individuals from using their weapons, the government is also determined to take other measures that would make the use of metal detectors unnecessary. Another part of the Tackling Violence Action Plan is devoted to discourage and punish retailers who plan to or have been caught selling alcohol to minors as well as confiscate liquor carried by minors.

Metal Detectors Provide Evidence to Break-In
In Princeton, Maine, Department One of the Washington County Sherriff had successfully recovered stolen handguns upon receiving a tip. Of the twelve guns reported missing from the break-in at the Four Corners Rod and Gun Shop, eight had been retrieved overall.

Deputy Tom Chambers sent the dive team of Department One to investigate and with the help of underwater metal detectors, Dive Master Dennis Dorsey was able to recover a handgun from the stream bottom.

Since the 9/11 attack, airports, malls, schools, and other establishments and institutions open to the public have been more stringent with their security. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to see walkthrough metal detectors located at entrance and exit points or security personnel carrying handheld metal detectors, which are also known wands. When used properly and strategically, metal detectors can go a long way in keeping monitored areas safe from potential threats.

Level of Detection
The effectiveness of security metal detectors largely depends on their range of sensitivity.

Level 1 metal detectors are capable of determining the presence of knives and small hand guns. Level 2 metal detectors, on the other hand, can go as far as detecting the presence of handcuffs and razor blades. And as for Level 3 metal detectors, these are capable of detecting the presence of even a single .22 caliber bullet or minute metal shanks.

Some metal detectors are designed for use in other fields. Professional metal detectors, for instance, are utilized for hunting buried treasure. A basic metal detector, on the other hand, can be used in everyday situations for finding misplaced items like house keys, coins, or jewelry. Some are designed to work even underwater.

How Security Metal Detectors Work
The technology used is also another key factor in determining the effectiveness of security metal detectors.

Metal detectors using “very low frequency” or VLF are also referred to as “induction balance” due to their use of transmitters and receivers. These devices create electromagnetic fields and changes in the electromagnetic field are interpreted and relayed to the metal detector in order to determine the presence or absence of metal in the scanned item.

Metal detectors using VLF technology are the type most widely used for security purposes because of their ability to distinguish the different kinds of metals.

Metal detectors utilizing “pulse induction” or PI technology use currents to create yet another field. This time, however, it’s the reverse of what VLF metal detectors create – an opposite magnetic field, to be more specific. The said currents generate reflected pulses and a sample circuit monitors the amount of time in which these pulses last. If it’s longer than usual then it means metal is present.

Finally, there’s BFO or beat-frequency oscillator, a technology that has been pioneered by the Garret company. Metal detectors using BFO technology have oscillators that generate offset pulses. The differences between these pulses are transformed into certain sounds which would then let you know if metal has been detected or not. It may sound complicated, but it’s actually by far the easiest to use.