Taser International has been awarded a $2.6 million contract by the United States military to develop new technologies. One of their latest offerings developed before the contract award is a conversion kit for police riot shields, which essentially enables the shields to carry an electrical charge in the event of unnecessary contact by rioters or suspects. Projects developed under the new contract are likely to be on a much larger scale, focusing more-so on military-grade weaponry.

However, another interesting development has come about in the field of electroshock technology within the last several years. Invented in 2006 by G2 Consulting, the Thor Shield is polyester fabric lined with conductive material that completes the circuit sent by a Taser or stun gun without the electricity needing to pass through the body. It can be made into a full article of clothing, or it can be sewn into clothes in a specific place without being too bulky. It should be noted that this material is only available to law enforcement agencies and the military.

Initially Taser did not reply to G2’s efforts to contact the company. Perhaps though, with Taser’s new contract with the military we can look forward to the utilization and integration of such technology. If they care enough about the safety of police officers to make their shields more effective, why not participate in the effort to make their uniforms safer as well?