Motorists who attempt to flee Douglas County Sheriff’s Office deputies might well get stopped with a new device called the grappler police bumper. 

The department bought five “grappler” devices to better, and more safely, stop a feeling vehicle than using the precision immobilization technique (PIT) most departments use. It joins the Colorado State Patrol as the only two departments in the state to use the device. They cost $8,176.18 each, totaling $40,880.90, according to a sheriff’s office spokesperson.

“We’re excited to introduce the Grappler system to Douglas County,” Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly said in a press release.

The sheriff’s department installed the five grapplers onto unmarked and specialized unit vehicles, according to the sheriff.

“It’s an effective tool that supports our ongoing mission to keep our community safe and hold offenders accountable,” Weekly said.

How does the grappler work?

Typically, in a police pursuit, officers will often use the PIT maneuver, requiring an officer to collide with a fleeing vehicle to stop it.

Weekly said the grappler will be safer. 

The grappler system is an attachment in front of a police vehicle. During a pursuit, the officer can deploy the grappler within feet behind a vehicle, releasing a tether-like rope that precisely attaches itself to the back wheel of a car, stopping it.

Authorities in Colorado are experienced in using the grappler system.

Colorado State Patrol, for example, has 28 available grapplers around the state that have been in use at the department since 2023, and first used the system in 2021, according to a CSP spokesperson.

Since then, CSP officials said there have been instances where the grappler was successfully deployed, notably stopping stolen vehicles.

“This is another step forward in providing our team with the resources they need to do their jobs safely,” Weekly said.