Sales of Pepper Spray Up in Fayetteville, NC

After a string of rapes and assaults in the Fayetteville area in January 2010, stores saw a dramatic rise in sales of non-lethal defensive weapons. Rapes and assaults have been reported in the city as well as at Fort Bragg and Hope Mills.

“Floodgates opened for pepper spray” reported a sales assistant at a local gun supply store. At another it was reported that they needed to put two people on over the weekend strictly to explain the differences between pepper spray, Tasers and stun guns to anxious customers.

Pepper spray and Tasers were the most popular choices, report local store owners. The weapon’s ability to be used from a distance makes people feel safer. Stun guns need to be used in close proximity so the gun makes contact with the attacker directly, but can also buy you time to escape when assaulted.

Another aspect of the attraction to Tasers is that one doesn’t need to have a license or permit to carry and use one in North Carolina. The weapon is very effective and can be handled by just about anyone with some basic training and practice. The most common customers, not surprisingly, have been women.

The Fayetteville police department had reported that it was investigating the possibility that seven of the recent attacks were connected. All were carried out against women, in apartment complexes, while alone between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7:30 a.m.

Nation-wide, concerns over the apparent rise in violent attacks, on women in particular, has created a boom market for purveyors of non-lethal defense weapons. You can purchase online, at a local store or pawn shop, or a number of places. Pepper spray is commonly available even at convenience stores, and the C2 Tazer is specifically designed for use by the citizenry, rather than law enforcement.