According to a statement by the American’s National Institute of Justice, more than 3,000 police officers’ lives have been saved by body armor since the mid seventies when they began testing and developing body armor and performance standards for ballistic and stab resistance. I would say the cost of body armor just doesn’t seem that high any more.
In 2009 the American Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) released the very valuable and informative findings of its National Body Armor Survey.
The responses received from nearly 80 percent of the 990 randomly selected law enforcement agencies throughout the United Statesprovide a detailed insight into their practices, policies, and standards regarding body armor for their officers.
A rather interesting find was that 59% of agencies required their officers to wear body armor or stab vests, but only 45% had a written policy in place enforcing this requirement. This is certainly not an ideal result. We are all human beings; we don’t want to carry additional weight, feel less nimble and sweat more during a hot summer’s day than necessary, so some officers are bound to end up not wearing the armor. There is also the risk of police officer deciding not to wear body armor due to an apparently low risk activity, unable to anticipate unforeseen circumstances, which would certainly require such equipment.
41.4% of law enforcement agencies in the US use body armor rated at NIJ Level II and 35.0% use NIJ Level IIIA, which means most agencies use body armor which protect officers against at least 9mm and .40 calibre bullets, but not against rifle fire or armor-piercing bullets. I believe this to be perfectly right, as any body armor offering a higher level of ballistic protection would result in being heavy, cumbersome and restrictive.
Overall, NIJ Level IIIA would be by far my preferred recommendation. Ultra thin and extremely lightweight NIJ Level IIIA bullet proof vests are now available and offer sufficient protection against the majority of handgun threats. However, I am inclined to suggest a higher level of protection for those officers dealing with serious violent organized criminals or those officers involved in counter terrorism operations.
PPSS Bullet Proof Vests
Police agencies were also asked to rate the importance of factors considered when purchasing body armor. The most important factors that police officers consider are whether the body armor will protect against rounds from the weapon of the officer, the safety level of the armor, and compliance with NIJ standards. Other key factors are comfort and weight, and officers’ ability to move easily while wearing the armor. I am pleased to see that safety and comfort exceed all other factors.
87.9% of all surveyed agencies specified that officers are individually measured by their body armor manufacturer in order to establish the perfect fit. 74.0% had been taken measurements by internal agency representatives. The correct fitting of armor is crucial given that officers shot in the torso area can have bullets enter under their armor or through the side panels. Fitting therefore has the potential to be a largely overlooked factor in whether officers involved in shootings are injured or even killed while wearing body armor.
PPSS Hi Viz Stab Vests
One particular result I was rather shocked by was the fact that the 78.4% of police agencies surveyed do not have a database or automated record system for a body armor replacement schedule. Almost 23% of agencies have no policy at all concerning replacement of body armor, completely ignoring the shelf life of any body armor, which is subject to the type of storage, personal care, exposure to UV light and moisture and many other influencing factors. A standard policy to replace all body armor after five years has now been put in place within many police forces around the world, and I very much welcome this move.
Have you any questions in reference to bullet proof vests or stab vests?
Please call PPSS Body Armour on +44 (0) 845 5193 953 or email info@ppss-group.com or visit www.ppss-group.com
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