Wrap Technologies Announces National Sponsorship of the National Faith & Blue Weekend

A Public-Private Collaborative Effort to Build Bridges and Break Biases – Law Enforcement Unites with the Faith Community for a Nationwide Weekend of Resolution and Reconciliation

TEMPE, Ariz., Aug. 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- *Wrap Technologies, Inc. **(“Wrap” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: WRTC*) is proud to sponsor the 2020 National Faith & Blue Weekend (NFBW) as one of three exclusive sponsors. National law enforcement groups, MovementForward, Inc.’s One Congregation One Precinct (OneCOP) initiative and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) are jointly organizing the most consolidated police-community engagement project in recent history. Wrap Technologies, FirstNet Built with AT&T, and Motorola Solutions Foundation are the sponsors for this effort. The mission of NFBW is to facilitate safer, stronger and more unified communities by connecting law enforcement officers and residents through local houses of worship.

“Wrap Technologies is honored to be a partner in the inaugural National Faith & Blue Weekend.  This innovative and collaborative police-community engagement project will facilitate safer and stronger communities by connecting law enforcement officers and the residents they protect and serve.  We are a company with a strong commitment to building police and community relations and a mission to support public safety.  It is paramount that we partner with community leaders across the United States to help  to facilitate connections between the public and law enforcement,”  said Marc Thomas, CEO, Wrap Technologies.

Partnerships between law enforcement and local groups – especially faith-based organizations – are invaluable force-multipliers for creating safer and more engaged communities.  NFBW will positively impact Americans by directly engaging community influencers, residents and law enforcement professionals in every state across the U.S. 

“Our pathway to progress around policing as a nation is a collaborative one that focuses on our commonalities rather than our differences,” said Reverend Markel Hutchins, National Lead Organizer, One Congregation One Precinct initiative (OneCOP) and President & CEO, MovementForward, Inc. “Because sixty million Americans attend weekly gatherings at more than 350,000 houses of worship nationwide, nothing rivals the depth and breadth of influence presented by houses of worship who are unique and powerful gateways to the heart of communities in which they have a mutual interest in achieving effective police-community engagement.”

Wrap Technologies’ President Tom Smith will host a webinar on Monday, August 24th at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET with Reverend Markel Hutchins and Retired Philadelphia Police Commissioner, Richard Ross to discuss the National Faith and Blue Weekend initiative, and the BolaWrap’s role in this project.  Register for the webinar here.

NFBW is scheduled for October 9 – 12, 2020 with several planned activities including community dialogues, service projects and other interactive experiences to help foster on-going, authentic and mutual community-law enforcement trust.

NFBW is an unprecedented national law enforcement-community engagement project involving nearly *every major national law enforcement group *in the United States of America along with the *three entities in the federal government that deal most directly with policing*. On April 27, 2020, the heads of each of the following organizations participated in the initial organizing meeting:

· Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, United States Department of Justice
· Office of Justice Programs, United States Department of Justice
· Bureau of Justice Assistance, United States Department of Justice
· Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association
· Fraternal Order of Police
· Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association
· International Association of Chiefs of Police
· International Brotherhood of Police Officers
· International Conference of Police Chaplains
· Major County Sheriffs of America
· Secure Community Network
· National Association of Assistant United States Attorneys
· National Association of Police Organizations
· National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives
· National Black Police Association
· National District Attorney’s Association
· National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund
· National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives
· National Narcotics Officers’ Associations’ Coalition
· National Police Foundation
· National Sheriffs’ Association
· Police Executive Research Forum

Initial meeting participants had no idea that the unfortunate death of George Floyd in Minneapolis nearly three weeks later would accelerate and reiterate the necessity for this so sorely needed, change effort.

For more information about National Faith and Blue Weekend, visit www.faithandblue.org.

*About Wrap Technologies** (Nasdaq: WRTC)*
Wrap Technologies 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 by agencies in 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.wraptechnologies.com.

*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 TECHNOLOGIES CONTACT:**
*Paul M. Manley
VP – Investor Relations
612-834-1804
pmanley@wraptechnologies.com