Wrap Technologies Inc WRAP

TEMPE, Arizona, Jan. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wrap Technologies, Inc. (the “Company” or “WRAP”) (Nasdaq: WRAP), an innovator of modern policing solutions, announced today the appointment of Kathleen O’Toole, retired Commissioner of Boston and Seattle Police Departments, and Sylvia Moir, retired Chief of Tempe Police Department, to join the Company’s public safety technology development and agency relations efforts.

Ret. Chief O’Toole and Ret. Chief Moir will be working with the WRAP Reality team on the development of a virtual reality-based training simulator focusing on topics of de-escalation, use of force, crisis intervention and officer wellness. Both will advise on R&D and training development, as well as conduct outreach and liaison with law enforcement executives and community stakeholders.

“As WRAP continues to drive innovations in public safety, we are proud to welcome two highly accomplished leaders,” said Tom Smith, President and Interim CEO at WRAP. “Ret. Chief O’Toole and Ret. Chief Moir each hold decades of career experience in law enforcement as well as historic positions as inaugural female chiefs of their respective departments. As trailblazers of reform, we look forward to their contributions to police training and education in partnership with WRAP.”

Kathleen O’Toole has held several executive positions in the public and private sectors and is widely recognized for her principled leadership and successful reform efforts in North America and Europe.

As a law school student, O’Toole accepted a position as patrol officer with the Boston Police Department and worked a number of field, investigative and supervisory assignments as she rose through the ranks. She served as Chief of the Metropolitan District Commission Police in Boston, Lieutenant Colonel overseeing Special Operations in the Massachusetts State Police, Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety, Boston Police Commissioner and Seattle Chief of Police. She also served as Chief Inspector of the Garda Síochána, the Irish national police service. She was a member of the Independent Commission on Policing during the Northern Ireland Peace Process and recently chaired the Commission on the Future of Policing in the Republic of Ireland.

O’Toole has served on several other review and reform panels. She provides services as a subject-matter expert to the US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. She was appointed as Monitor to oversee a federally supervised consent decree in East Haven, CT. She was an advisor to the Illinois AG’s Office during the development of a settlement agreement between the City of Chicago and the State, and now serves as a member of the monitoring team overseeing the project. She also serves as a member of the monitoring team in Baltimore.

O’Toole has substantial private sector experience as well. As a practicing attorney, she has represented clients on civil matters and acted “of counsel” to a Boston law firm. She once served as a corporate security manager at Digital Equipment Corporation and had global responsibility for executive protection, crisis management and threats of violence in the workplace. She has provided a diverse range of consulting services to several multi-national corporations based in North America and Europe.

O’Toole regularly provides lectures at academic institutions throughout the US and Europe and presents frequently at professional conferences. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at Northeastern University, University of Ulster and Seattle University.

O’Toole received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Boston College, a Juris Doctor from New England School of Law and was admitted to the bar as a practicing attorney. She also earned a PhD at the Business School of Trinity College Dublin.

Sylvia Moir is principal for The Macrae Group, a consulting firm formed in late 2020 specializing in organizational assessment, analysis, evaluation, and advising on modern law enforcement training and education.

Moir’s extensive background in law enforcement and public safety includes both agency leadership and thought leadership across multiple areas of police training, strategy, policy and reform. A California native, Chief Moir has over 30 years of experience in local police practice. Sylvia joined the Tempe Arizona Police Department as the Chief in March 2016 and led the department through October 2020.

“Reimagining policing must include innovations which confront where policing has fallen short. As police executives and communities search for solutions to enhance how police officers provide effective and equitable service, we demand innovations like WRAP’s Virtual Reality Simulator to fill existing gaps,” said Moir. “The WRAP Reality platform shows great promise in enhancing police officer decision making and may simultaneously boost officer wellness and resilience; this promise is why I am eager to contribute to this progressive tool.”

Previously, Moir was the Chief of the El Cerrito Police Department from 2010 until her appointment as the Police Chief in Tempe, Arizona. Chief Moir spent most of her early career with the Sacramento Police Department where she served in every division of the department. She was the Incident Commander on hundreds of planned and spontaneous events, a trainer in several policing subjects, and a member of the Sacramento Police Honor Guard. She completed rigorous training with the US Army Old Guard at Fort Myer, VA and Arlington National Cemetery.

California Governor Jerry Brown appointed Chief Moir to the Commission on California Peace Officer Standards and Training for two terms. Moir served on the Executive Committee for the California Police Chiefs Association and as the President of the Police Executive Research Forum. She is currently an Executive Fellow for the National Police Foundation, Chair of the Community Policing Committee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, an advisor for the American Law Institute, and a member of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force.

Chief Moir holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from California State University, Sacramento, a Master of Arts in Organizational Management, and a Master of Science degree from the Naval Postgraduate School - Center for Homeland Defense and Security. In 2019, Moir presented a TEDx Talk on mindfulness in policing.

About WRAP
WRAP Technologies, Inc. is an innovator of modern policing solutions. The Company’s BolaWrap 100 product is a patented, hand-held remote restraint device that discharges an eight-foot bola style Kevlar® tether to restrain an individual at a distance from 10 to 25 feet. Developed by award winning inventor Elwood Norris, the Company’s Chief Technology Officer, the small but powerful BolaWrap 100 assists law enforcement in safely and effectively deescalating encounters, especially those involving an individual in crisis. BolaWrap 100 has already been used to safely apprehend suspects without injury in a number of cities including Los Angeles, Sacramento, Fresno, Bell, Albuquerque, Minneapolis, West Palm Beach, Fort Worth, and Oak Ridge. For information on the Company, please visit www.wrap.com.

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Trademark Information
BolaWrap and Wrap are trademarks of WRAP Technologies, Inc. All other trade names used herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective holders.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements – Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to: statements regarding the Company’s overall business; total addressable market; and, expectations regarding future sales and expenses. Words such as “expect”, “anticipate”, “should”, “believe”, “target”, “project”, “goals”, “estimate”, “potential”, “predict”, “may”, “will”, “could”, “intend”, and variations of these terms or the negative of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Moreover, forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond the Company’s control. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including but not limited to: the Company’s ability to successful implement training programs for the use of its products; the Company’s ability to manufacture and produce product for its customers; the Company’s ability to develop sales for its new product solution; the acceptance of existing and future products; the availability of funding to continue to finance operations; the complexity, expense and time associated with sales to law enforcement and government entities; the lengthy evaluation and sales cycle for the Company’s product solution; product defects; litigation risks from alleged product-related injuries; risks of government regulations; the business impact of health crises or outbreaks of disease, such as epidemics or pandemics; the ability to obtain export licenses for counties outside of the US; the ability to obtain patents and defend IP against competitors; the impact of competitive products and solutions; and the Company’s ability to maintain and enhance its brand, as well as other risk factors mentioned in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly report on Form 10-Q, and other SEC filings. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and were based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections as well as the beliefs and assumptions of management. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no duty or obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events or changes in its expectations.

WRAP Contact:

Paul M. Manley
VP – Investor Relations
(612) 834-1804
pmanley@wrap.com 

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bafb2810-d849-422a-8f04-277dd1b97058