NCJ Number
153228
Journal
Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine Volume: 18 Issue: 11 Dated: (November 1994) Pages: 78-83,86-89
Date Published
1994
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the features of body armor, body- armor requirements for police, and the problem of getting officers to wear body armor.
Abstract
Two major concerns for police officers regarding body armor are the kind of vest needed and how much to spend. Soft body armor is rated at varying, well-established levels based on the types of rounds they will stop. No vest has ever failed at its rated level. In choosing a vest, there are trade-offs, primarily in protection versus price and comfort. Today, no one recommends anything less that a Level IIA vest for patrol duty; some experts even suggest a Level II. The advantages of the level IIA vest are that it will stop most rounds the police officer is likely to encounter on the street, and it is not so heavy and uncomfortable that officers will not wear it. Competition has resulted in a wide selection of vests with a corresponding spectrum of prices. A buyer can purchase a basic vest for less than $200 from several manufacturers. The cost of a vest must be measured against the costs that will result from the death of an officer who could have been saved with body armor. One major complaint of many body armor manufacturers is the standards for body armor set by the National Institute of Justice, a Federal agency that encourages research and development to improve the criminal justice system. Manufacturers and sellers of body armor believe that NIJ standards ignore the importance of comfort and wearability in assessing vests. Unless an officer will wear a vest, they argue, it does not matter that it will stop a wide range of bullet types. The article concludes with a discussion of the importance of establishing and enforcing the mandatory wearing of body armor for street officers.