The NJ Police Chief Magazine Volume 24, Number 7 | Page 15

The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | October 2018
Continued from previous page
Thanks to advances in manufacturing and materials, it is now possible to get level 3+ rifle plates that weigh just
over two pounds each. That means that for less than five pounds of inconvenience, we were able to dramatically
increase officer survivability.
Admittedly, though, that survivability comes at a cost-- both to your budget and perhaps to your philosophy. In
order to have your officers protected by rifle plates full-time, you’ll likely have to embrace external vests and dig
into your budget-- a combination that can exceed $1,000 an officer.
That cost, I would argue, is partially returned in the reported reduction in workers compensation claims and back/
hip injuries that are attributable to our traditional put-it-all-on-the-belt mentality. It’s further returned in the bene-
fits of sending officers out with a gear configuration that allows them to fight through and survive armed confronta-
tions where they’re increasingly facing semi-automatic rifles.
We’ve also seen injury reduction in unexpected ways. A few months after switching to the external vests, several of
our officers were assaulted during a serious physical fight in which they were outnumbered. One officer was
punched in the abdomen. The offender broke his wrist when his blow landed on the front rifle plate. Another officer
was firmly kicked in the back while on the ground gaining control of another subject. The officer was unaware that
she was kicked as the kick had landed on her back rifle plate. Neither of those two assaulted officers was injured or
required treatment.
Beyond the cost though, is another concern to be considered-- namely the perception that external vests present a
more “militaristic” appearance. When our agency moved to external vests as our uniform of the day, we fielded our
fair share of questions as to why we had changed to a uniform that looked more militaristic than our previous
wears. After a succinct recitation of the rifle death statistics, rifle production statistics, and a frank discussion
explaining how officer survivability directly impacts citizen survivability in a critical incident, the vast majority of
those people not only understood, but supported our move to external vests. Now more than a year into this ex-
periment, the feedback from both our officers and the community remains overwhelmingly positive.
Change is never easy-- especially when that change involves challenging the status quo. The reality of the semi-
automatic rifle threat, however, is not going away and is certainly not going to wait for us to catch up.
If you’re not evolving, you’re dying. The statistics surrounding officers killed by rifles makes a compelling case that
it’s time to evolve.
Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by contributors or advertisers to The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine
are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of The New Jersey State Association of Chiefs
of Police, its officers, or employees. The primary purpose of this publication is to educate and inform. This publication does not
constitute legal or other professional services or advice.