SAN FERNANDO : Pepper Spray Training Class Being Offered

Muggers beware.

After next Thursday, a phalanx of San Fernando citizens armed and trained in the effective use of oleoresin capsicum--better known as pepper spray--will hit the streets, packing canisters of the stinging, choking spray and laminated state permits to prove they know what they’re doing.

The San Fernando Police Department and the San Fernando Chamber of Commerce have teamed up to provide the city’s first pepper spray self-defense training and certification class.

Each trainee will receive a state certification permit and one canister of First Defense MK-6C pepper spray, the only brand approved by the state Department of Justice.

To carry pepper spray legally in California, a training course--including target practice--is required, said Jim Hein, owner of the Security Training Center in North Hollywood and a former Los Angeles police officer who will teach the course.

“We’ll have full-size silhouette targets set up for them to shoot,” said Hein. “In order to receive the permit, trainees will have to hit the target in the head area at least three out of four times.”

Pepper spray works when it is sprayed in the eyes, nose or mouth of the target.

“It works by causing muscle convulsions,” Hein said. “If ingested, or shot into the mouth, the larynx will constrict and the person will have difficulty breathing. If it hits the eyes, it causes the eyelids to slam shut, the capillaries dilate. It also induces violent coughing. It works even if the person is drunk or on drugs--they might not feel pain, but the person’s muscles will still react to the chemicals.”

Pepper spray was legalized in California in March. It is a misdemeanor to carry the spray without a state permit, said Mike Van Winkle of the law enforcement division of the state Department of Justice.

“Even if the spray is used in legitimate self-defense, the person could still be charged with a misdemeanor if they’ve never been certified,” Van Winkle said. The penalty for the misdemeanor is a fine of up to $1,000. “It’s a felony charge if used for aggressive or criminal purposes. The reason for the certification is just to ensure responsible and controlled use of the product,” Van Winkle said.

Some people who carry permits for tear gas may be surprised to learn that the permits don’t cover the use of pepper spray. “It has to be upgraded to include pepper spray,” Hein said.

The one hour classes, which cost $30, will be held in the community room at San Fernando City Hall on Thursday from noon until 7 p.m. All proceeds will be donated to local Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) and Police Explorer programs.