Guardian 8 Corporation’s CEO Steve Cochennet accepted the prestigious 2014 Campus Safety BEST Award for the Pro V2 and outlined goals in reducing conflict through enhanced non-lethal (ENL) deescalation and incident recording.

“We spent five years developing the world’s first Enhanced Non-Lethal device with two-way communication and built-in camera for video incident recording to de-escalate conflict and reduce injuries in schools, corporations, healthcare facilities, and public venues such as retail malls and stadiums. The Pro V2 represents a new class in Enhanced Non-Lethal technology that excels at reducing conflict and is legal for use throughout the US, including states that ban stun devices.”

On Improving Safety: Cochennet said, “Studies on non-lethal response show that using the Pro V2 with its built-in camera has the potential to de-escalate conflict in the places we go for work, for play, for learning and for healing by as much as 80%. Our goal is to make these institutions and public venues safer for all.”

On Reducing Incident Claims & Liability:
Cochennet said, “In addition to increasing overall safety for students, teachers, nurses, patients, employees, shoppers and sports fans, the Pro V2 provides the foundations for court admissible digital evidence such as video and audio, so we expect to see a significant reduction in frivolous lawsuits, legal claims, public and private settlements as well as overall institutional liability.”

On Reducing Conflict:
Cochennet said, “Behavior changes when that video camera is on. Unlike a wearable camera, this camera is embedded into the device to ensure incidents are video and audio-recorded. This ensures the camera is used while de-escalating potentially dangerous events.”

The Pro V2 is Bluetooth enabled with two-way communication, providing the officer with open communication to the command center or the police department throughout the incident, which can have a dramatic effect on de-escalation.

“Having a built-in video camera also ensures that the only story told after a recorded conflict will be the truth. No more he-said, she-said, perpetuating multiple versions of the incident through the legal system and news media.”

On Conflict Documentation:
Cochennet said, “The Pro V2’s video and incident recording capability is the great equalizer…it keeps both the officer and the agitator honest throughout the conflict. And just as important, it is designed to avoid the common pitfall of differing accounts of the events emerging after the incident.”

“After five years of R&D, our team has introduced a new class of technology with enhanced non-lethal security to over two million security officers in the US and an estimated four million security professionals overseas.”