Body armor should be a requirement for our law enforcement officers. With the number of police who are harmed every year while protecting and serving, the pressure is now on law enforcement safety to require that all officers have tactical gear to protect them while they are out making our neighborhoods safe for us. Over the past decade the lives of thousands of officers have been saved due to the body armor they have chosen to wear. What types of body armor are there for our officers and what suits them best in their on-the-go, dangerous lifestyles?
Body armor generally comes in two different designs.
There are covert vests that go underneath their clothing. These vests are completely concealed, so it is not always obvious when officers are wearing this sort of bulletproof body armor. The construction and design of these covert vests make it so that the officer can move around safely without being weighed down by the heaviness of their vests. The second type of body armor commonly used by the police force is an overt vest. These vests are worn over the officers’ clothes, are far heavier, and are often made from tempered steel. These vests are not well concealed and limit ease of body movement, but they do typically offer more protection than the covert vests do. Both overt and covert body armor options have their own unique purposes and applications and, at the end of the day, exist to keep our officers safe in the line of duty.
What are body armor levels?
Body armor comes roughly in five different types. This tactical body armor can typically protect the wearer from .9mm to .30mm rounds. Unfortunately, with weapons dispensing larger and more deadly rounds on the streets, these vests are not always suited for every situation and, unfortunately, there have been officers killed while wearing these vests. This means that it is incredibly important to ensure that the proper body armor is applied in the proper situation, so that an officer is never underprepared for the dangerous task that they are about to complete. It is very important to take into consideration the risks of the particular job and what an officer is expected to deal with every time they step out of the police station and onto the streets. Considering how dangerous the job of an officer is day in and day out, it is important to ensure that they are properly outfitted and as safe as can be every time they put themselves at risk.
Even if an officer is simply going out for target practice, he or she should always have body armor on as a safety precaution. The lives of our officers are far too important to risk. So please, make sure your officers are wearing the appropriate body armor so that, at the end of the day, they are able to return home safe and sound to their families and go on to protect and serve their communities the next day.