Wearing soft body armor on the call of duty is all well and good. However, what happens should you be called to respond to a shooting scene at a local school or some other incident where a firearm is used, and yet the rating of your vest is not enough to keep you safe.
You can achieve protection against rifle rounds by adding hard armor plates that slip inside armor carriers, but the question is, do you really need them? If you do, which ones are the best to choose?
Which suit your current and potential future scenario?
The number of shooting incidents is on the rise throughout the world and police officers are ever more required to invest in armor plates. And it’s not just city based officers who might consider armor plating. Those who patrol rural areas should also understand more about the options available to them for added protection.
Levels of Protection
The ratings for bulletproof vests and other ballistic protective materials are provided by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and are numbered from levels I (1) through IV (4). The numbers relate to the amount of protection afforded with respect to firearm projectiles with I (1) being the lowest amount of protection and IV (4) being the greatest.
Armor plates are rated type III (3) and IV (4), with type III affording the ability to stop rifle rounds while type IV being able to stop armor-piercing rounds. As a police officer, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll ever be called to a scene where armor piercing rounds are being used. That sort of scenario tends to be more suited to an action movie.
Another awesome article. Being in law enforcement, I can attest to the fact that a vest that is easy to put on and pull off is very important. Seconds matter in any emergency.
I served in the military 30 years ago and I can personally attest that the technology surrounding body armor has most definitely changed and it will only get better with each passing year and each new discovery.
I also served in the army about 25 years ago. Back then, I had the unfortunate luck of taking a bullet to the chest. My vest saved my life, but I was in a world of pain. Today’s vests can help diminish the impact and prevent injury.