SPRINGFIELD - The Bola Wrap 150 — also known as the 'Batman' tool — is a device that launches a seven-foot-six Kevlar cord that is meant to restrain suspects.

It's a tool that the Springfield Police Department uses instead of stun guns. They decided to invest in the technology in 2022 to give officers a less lethal option.

"It's an early intervention device. Before you get to tasers and all that, you want to be able to use this device for when you give a verbal command and they do not want to comply with you," Assistant Police Chief Taylor Lewis said.

Lewis says an officer has yet to launch the tool during an arrest because it looks similar to a stun gun.

"As soon as they see the black and yellow come out, the laser hits them and they see the light. They're like 'I don't want to get tased.' But it's not a taser, they don't understand that," he said.

The Bola Wrap is loud. Lewis says it was made that way to distract a person they are trying to detain.

"The device is loud, which is also a distractionary technique because if they hear a loud pop, they're going to stop what they're doing," he said.

The device costs around $2,000, not including the cartridges needed to deploy the rope. Even with the price tag, Lewis feels it would be a great investment for all police departments.

"Will you use it every day? No, but having that option instead of going from verbal command to open hand technique to pepper spray, this is that fill-in-the-blank space," he said.