There are many safety measures that are available today, but they are worthless if they are not implemented correctly. Likewise, they are completely useless if they are not implemented at all. From safety belts that were available even before cars were made to other scientific developments that were available long before they were put in use, the advantages that research and studies provide cannot help protect American citizens if we do not use these technologies.
One type of safety precaution that is available and is now being implemented more than it has in the past is body armor for police. In fact, tactical body armor and the use of reactive targets for training are becoming standard for many police departments across the country. And while not all smaller police departments have the budgets of those in large cities, there are many smaller departments who benefit when larger departments upgrade their body armor clothing. When the largest city police departments budget for and purchase police duty gear, for instance, they may offer their older, but still reliable, equipment. In this way, larger departments can recover some of the costs for purchasing their new equipment and smaller departments can benefit from the opportunity to purchase used law enforcement safety equipment.
Communities Are Safer When the Police Force Is Protected with Body Armor Clothing
Some of the latest research from the Federal Bureau of Investigation indicates that there 33 law enforcement officers feloniously killed with their own weapon in the that last 10 years. Paying attention to this statistic and other indications, there are many departments who are increasing the amount of body armor protection they are requiring their officers to wear.
After motor vehicle crashes, shootings the second leading cause of police officer deaths. In fact, one-third of law enforcement officer deaths over the last 10 years were caused by gunshots. Finding a way to make sure that officers are better protected when they are in the field is one important solution to making sure that this statistic does not continue.
Over the past three decades, armor vests have saved the lives of more than 3,000 law enforcement officers, and they are a perfect example of how effective a proven safety measure can be if they are put in place and used on a consistent basis.
