Lightweight body armor has been widely available for use by law enforcement personnel for more than 25 years. The dramatic reduction in officer homicides following the introduction of body armor attests to the protection it provides. This success story extends far beyond protection from handguns-an estimated 2,500 lives have been spared, including cases in which body armor prevented serious injuries to officers from other types of assaults or accidents. The National Institute of...
More DescriptionLightweight body armor has been widely available for use by law enforcement personnel for more than 25 years. The dramatic reduction in officer homicides following the introduction of body armor attests to the protection it provides. This success story extends far beyond protection from handguns-an estimated 2,500 lives have been spared, including cases in which body armor prevented serious injuries to officers from other types of assaults or accidents. The National Institute of Justice2 (NIJ) has developed standards for body armor performance through its Office of Law Enforcement Standards (OLES). The standard for ballistic resistance of body armor was developed 28 years ago and has gone through four revisions. In September 2000, NIJ introduced its standard for stab and puncture resistance of body armor. Body armor is tested as a part of the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) voluntary equipment testing program to determine compliance with the NIJ standards, and NLECTC disseminates those test results and other pertinent information to the law enforcement and corrections communities. While body armor is a household word in the criminal justice community, questions about its selection and use are frequently asked. This guide responds to commonly expressed concerns. It provides information to help determine what level of protection is consistent with the threats to which individual officers are exposed. It also discusses armor selection from the variety of styles available, together with the proper care of armor in service. The NIJ standards are discussed in detail, as well as the use of the standards in armor procurement. In addition, the guide discusses administrative concerns, including the issue of replacing in service armor, and describes other sources of information. NIJ asks all departments to exercise prudent judgment in selecting armor appropriate to their needs. In so doing, NIJ urges proper attention to those factors that affect the wearability of armor in order to encourage routine, full-time use by all on-duty officers. The temptation to order armor that provides more protection than realistically needed should be resisted, because doing so may increase the likelihood that the armor will not be worn routinely. This guide opens with a history of the development of body armor and background on the lives it has saved. The heart of the guide-how to proceed to select and purchase body armor-begins with chapter 6 and includes chapters explaining how to assess the level of protection needed, things to think about when selecting armor, and ways to keep it in proper working order.