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On Nov. 23, 2006, the day after Thanksgiving, Officer Chris Walker of the Jonesboro (Ark.) Police Department confronted a rape suspect hiding in a dark attic. The suspect fired from a prone position directly at Walker, who was able to return fire.
Body armor has come a long way since the days of knights. But even in today’s police and military operations, the armor is specialized according to the user’s need.
The latest in concealable armor provides comfort and flexibility while still offering the protection you need from everyday dangers on the job.
How much is a cop’s safety worth? Despite safety concerns, due to shrinking budgets it’s becoming increasingly common for police departments to require officers to purchase their own body armor. Even when agencies pony up some money for ballistic vests, it’s usually not enough to buy the best of the best—which is what most officers want protecting them from bodily harm.
Body armor is sometimes all that lies between you and a suspect's attack. It has saved officers' lives countless times. Not wearing it is not an option. As a law enforcement officer you're a walking target and, like it or not, a ballistic vest is the best protection you have against the bad guys' bullets.
Thousands of times a day in this country peace officers search homes, businesses, schools, and other structures for hidden offenders. Structure searches can turn into a high-risk assignment for the officers performing them.
The bad news is, regardless of comfort, you need to wear your vest. The good news is, the manufacturers of ballistic vests and other innovators are working on ways to make wearing a vest more bearable.
Good guys are not the only ones wearing armor these days.
Large trade shows can be overwhelming for everyone involved. They are a blur of seminars, awards banquets, industry schmooze sessions, and aisle after aisle of exhibits and demonstrations.
If you are shot while wearing body armor, you will still feel the energy of the bullet's impact. But if the armor works, the force will be spread out over your entire torso rather than in just a specific area.
Based on reader requests, this is the list of your top product picks for 2001.
Women have filled varied roles in law enforcement for nearly a century, yet only with the equal opportunity acts of the '60s and '70s did the numbers of female patrol officers rise noticeably. Subsequently, duty gear began to tentatively adapt to the needs of female officers.
The suspect's actions, tactics used, and weapon information is something every SWAT or patrol officer needs to be aware of.
If officer safety education is so prevalent and well-accepted today, how does one explain the bloody fact that between 50 and 75 officers still perish at the hands of criminals in any given year?
Advanced computer programming, combined with materials developed specifically for military defense applications, is leading the way toward the development of the next generation of body armor for law enforcement officers.