(InvestigateTV) — Police chases aren’t just dangerous; they can often turn deadly.

From 2001 to 2021, deadly pursuits have increased by 41%, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. During that time, more than 8,000 people died. Of those, 36% were innocent bystanders.

In an effort to stop those chases before they start, some departments are turning to a tool called the Grappler.

Grappler

How the device works

With the flip of a switch, netting shoots from the police vehicle to under the wheel of a suspect’s car, tangling it and bringing it to a standstill.

“These arms are folded in. They deploy out as the net comes out,” said Patrol Sgt. Travis Gardner. “This black piece here is what actually wraps around the tire of the fleeing car.”

In 2022, Lenexa Police was the first department in Kansas to start using it. Since then, Officer Danny Chavez said they’ve seen tremendous success.

“We’re looking at over 70% of the time it’s deployed, it’s effective in safely bringing the fleeing vehicle to a halt, allowing us to take those people into custody,” Chavez said.

Chavez said many of the cars they’ve grappled would never have been pursued under Lenexa’s chase policy, which only allows pursuits for felony crimes. He said without the Grappler, suspects of theft or traffic violations who didn’t pull over would have gotten away.

In one case, a vehicle reported stolen was stopped before it could speed away.

“Literally, before he gets onto the highway and reaches highway speeds, we’ve got it at a stop,” Chavez said.  More here