Board watches demonstration of RAP restraint system; officers say it lets them secure detainees and allow medical care

At its June 4, 2025 meeting the Law Enforcement Citizen Review Board in Salina received a live demonstration of the RAP restraint system from Salina police officers and instructors.

Detective Braziones, who led the demonstration, described the RAP as a restraint system stored in the back of MARC control units and supervisor vehicles that combines a breathable hood, body wrap and ankle restraints to limit movement while keeping a subject's chest and airway accessible for breathing and medical assessment. "This is the best way to make sure that they're restrained safely for both medical intervention and then also transport," Detective Braziones said during the demonstration.

Officer Grogan demonstrated rolling and lifting techniques, showed how ankle straps and a nylon handle are used to carry someone into a patrol car or ambulance, and explained that the system is designed to reduce flailing and head strikes while allowing officers to check for breathing. He told the board that the wrap material is breathable and that the hood helps contain spitting or biological material without limiting breathing.

A participant asked whether the system became more prevalent after high-profile cases such as Freddie Gray and George Floyd. Detective Braziones said the Salina department has used the body-wrap for several years and that the system can be useful when a person in crisis needs to be placed in protective custody and receive medical care. The presenter said the department has used the hood and wrap in about 50 instances this year and, in those uses, has not observed secondary medical issues attributable to the restraint as applied.

Board members asked whether complaints had been filed about the system; a presenter said the department had reviewed at least one complaint in a prior case and that the board had exonerated the officers in that review. Presenters emphasized that the wrap is intended to allow medical evaluation and that officers can remove ankle straps or the wrap as a subject becomes more compliant.

No policy changes or formal board actions were proposed during the demonstration. Board members were invited to request additional policy reviews at future meetings.