I'm not a big fan of non lethal
weapons, though I agree 100% that most altercations don't need to end with gunshots.
To stay out of trouble I tend to rely heavily on my manners, my physique, my beard, my tattoos, and my general lack of things worth stealing
But in all seriousness, slipping a class on deescalation techniques in between gun classes is probably a good idea. Maybe a few unarmed self defense classes too - Personally I find sparing a far more fun method of keeping the belly at bay than running
The problem that seems to exist with less lethal weapons is that they seem to mostly rely on pain. And as the majority of violent crimes these days are committed by people abusing some sort of substance, they may not react to pain the way we would hope.