Danger is around every corner. How do you prepare yourself for a safe day? It can be as simple as locking your door before you go to work or as complex as sending your car to the repair shop for a thorough check-up. Our local law enforcement has to contend with many minor to severe safety regulations on a constant basis in order to serve and protect. From bullets to blunt force trauma, the one thing keeping an officer alive is their tactical body armor.
Body armor has been a physical standard for decades. Covering a person from head-to-toe, tactical armor is designed to prepare the wearer involved for anything that may happen irregardless of fluctuations in shooting and assault rates. Over 85 police officers in New York City alone have been kept safe from fatal injuries by body armor since the 1970’s. The past three decades, as well, have seen armored vests saving the lives of well over 3,000 officers throughout the country.
Minor injuries, such as sprains or burns, can be prevented through body armor for police. Steel-toed boots should be worn to reduce the risk of broken toes and twisted ankles. Breathable material is suggested for heavy rain conditions and sweltering days alike. No aspect of a complete uniform should be neglected to ensure every probability can be met with the utmost competence.
Gunshot wounds are some of the most severe cases an officer will have to deal with. Without police safety gear in check many more would be succumbing to their wounds every year. Studies have shown the chance of dying from a gunshot to the torso is nearly three and a half times higher for officers who neglect to wear an armored vest. Every year the standards for armor are raised in accordance with the development of new weapons.
Simply buying a tactical plate carrier for police safety is not enough. These need to be maintained throughout the year through a careful eye and ongoing repairs to ensure they hold up to their intended purpose. An illuminating study saw 20% of the officers who died from a gunshot wound to the torso dying because their body armor was not powerful enough to stop the bullet. Even very minor damage to police safety gear should be taken very seriously.
Expectations for safety are only expected to increase. According to a recent survey by the Bureau Of Justice Statistics, over 70% of police departments a few years prior required officers to wear armored vests at all times. Considering the amount of shootings cropping up in recent years, protocol has to adapt to make sure no officer is caught without equipment that could mean the difference between life or death. From upgrades to maintenance, it is your duty to make sure you always have police safety first and foremost in your mind.