Forty-eight police officers died by gunfire in the year 2000, according to "Officers Down," found at www.odmp.org.

These were felonious assaults, but another three officers died in accidental shootings. No doubt, many more would have died if they had not been wearing ballistic vests. Body armor saves lives, but only if officers wear it.

DuPont’s John Dottore stated that more than 40 percent of felonious firearms deaths of police officers might have been prevented if the officers had been wearing body armor, but, still today, only a little more than half of police officers wear ballistic protection.

On September 1, 2000, the National Institute of Justice issued a new body armor standard, NIJ STD 0101.04, "Ballistic Resistance of Personal Body Armor," to supersede the controversial .03 standard. One of the changes involved the method of testing. The new standard specifies readjustment of the vest between shots to eliminate questionable "penetration failures" which took place when the ballistic material bunched up during testing.

Another change has been in the method of measuring backface deformation which has always been controversial in its relation to "blunt trauma." There has always been a difference between laboratory results and performance in the field with regard to backface deformation. The new standard calls for three test shots instead of the previous single shot, providing more consistency.

Yet another change is determining the V-50, the velocity at which 50 percent of the test bullets fail to penetrate the armor panel and 50 percent do penetrate. The new standard provides the V-50 in its summary report. Law enforcement can request these numbers and compare them when making purchasing decisions.

Other changes relate to selection of rounds included in various categories, such as substituting the .380ACP for the .38 Special in Level I, and the .40S&W for the .357 Magnum in Level IIA.

There has been some protest against the new standard. This is inevitable, partly because of its extreme complexity. The required conditions for testing are so meticulously spelled out that many are bound to be dissatisfied with one aspect or another. Another reason is money. The new standard is more expensive to run in the laboratory, increasing the cost of testing which must be borne by the vest manufacturers.

The text of the new standard is available on the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Web site at www.nlectc.org. However, navigating this site can be tedious. The best way to get to the text is to use the "search" button at the top left of the NLECTC home page, and type in NIJ-STD-0101-04. This will produce a list of almost 400 documents. Go to the second page to find the standard.

Another new NIJ standard relates to resistance to edged weapons and punctures. The new NIJ STD 0115.00 is called the "Spike Standard" colloquially because its main thrust is to establish a standard for resistance, not to slashing attacks, but to stabbing attacks, especially with an ice pick or spike-like weapon.

Adapted from the British Police Scientific Development Branch (PSDB) standard of 1999, the new testing technique uses an "engineered spike" similar to the "shanks" made by prison inmates. The new spike resembles the one used in the California Ice Pick Test, but its spike is precision ground and supported fully, except for the front 3 1/4", reducing a tendency for the spike to bend during the drop test. However, the impact energies of the three levels of the standard are less than the California 81.1 ft./lbs.: Level 1 is 26.6 ft./lbs.; Level 2 maxes out at 36.9 ft./lbs.; and Level 3 is at 47.9 ft./lbs.

The Bulletproof Vest Grant Partnership Act of 1998 provides for $25 million a year for three years to help law enforcement agencies equip their officers with ballistic vests. This program is unusual in that all transactions are over the Internet, speeding up the process.

Nearly 4,500 police and correctional agencies in the United States have had part of the costs of providing armor for their officers covered by this program during the past fiscal year. The Office of Justice Programs estimates that police and correctional agencies will procure over 190,000 more vests this year and nearly 24,000 stab-resistant vests. During the three year life of this program, it has helped purchase over half a million vests for officers. Recent legislation provides for running the program until the year 2004.

For more information, visit the Web site at www.vests.ojp.gov or contact Sheila Jerusalem at (202)307-0703.

There are armor innovations each and every year. Some are genuinely new designs; others are repackages of the same items. Every several years, there’s a new material, but each year brings its crop of minor redesigns, including bells, gimmicks, and whistles.

Most officers now wear vests, partly because law enforcement agencies are increasingly making it mandatory and because body armor is tough and very durable. In fact, at least one company specializes in reconditioning body armor for police. This presents manufacturers with the problem of stimulating the demand for body armor. One obvious way is to bring out new models each year, but it’s often hard to persuade a police officer or an agency to shell out a thousand dollars for a new model that is half a pound lighter or has a new type of fastener.

The police executive must use careful judgment in selecting armor and spend the limited budget on truly worthwhile items which offer genuine improvements over present equipment.

All new models are made to the new NIJ .04 standard, according to ABA. Carriers come in black, navy, tan, and white, and have six-point adjustments and 5" x 8" hard panel pockets. All are made with antimicrobial olefin to resist degradation by chemicals, mildew, perspiration, and weather.

ABA has introduced Xtreme armor for women, designed for comfort. This incorporates adjustable and flexible ballistic panels, adjustable cups, and a multipoint fastening system. Also featured is a new carrier system.

American Body Armor also has a new vest for tactical teams, designed to offer the greatest possible mobility for dynamic entries and other tactics which demand speed and flexibility. The new RPM Vest weighs less than six pounds and has a wraparound design, combined with an elastic side closure that expands with torso movement. Another feature is the short-waist design which does not interfere with the duty belt. Also included is adjustable overlapping shoulder protection, a front armor pocket, and a detachable multiuse tab. Additional standard features are a stronger officer-down strap and an ambidextrous weapon retention device.

Optional features for the RPM Vest are extended upper bicep protection with a quick attachment system, a detachable scooped collar to avoid interference with the helmet, a modular grid system, a detachable pull-down groin pad, a back armor pocket, ID patches, various gear pouches, and additional attachment tabs for a hydration system and Level III and IV plates. The RPM Vest is available only in black, but comes in several threat levels, including Level IIIA (Xtreme ZX), IIIA (Xtreme X), Level IIIA (Xtreme), and IIIA 1000 Plus.

American Body Armor (ABA) recently announced their new line of Edge Armor products certified to meet advanced NIJ standards. The Edge Stab and Xtreme Edge correctional vests are being added to American Body Armor’s concealable product line.

The first three of five products in the new Edge Armor lineup have recently been introduced. The new Edge Stab Vest and the Xtreme Edge vest offer unparalleled protection and are just the start of an entire new line, providing armor for every situation.

Armacel has introduced a new ballistic shield for Level III rifle protection, weighing only 50 pounds. The shield measures 24" x 48" and has a multigrip handle and a swing out stand. Made of Lexcel, the shield is designed for one arm or two hand carry.

ARMCOR has introduced a new Lifesaver ballistic plate designed to stop AK-47, .223, and .308 rifle rounds. This hard plate comes in 5" x 8", 6" x 8", 8" x 10", and 10" x 12" sizes and is designed to fit into the front trauma pocket of a ballistic vest. Lifesaver plates also resist stabs, punctures, and blasts.

A variant is the 10" x 12" Lifesaver 1 Contour SuperPlate which is made for extra comfort. A Lifesaver Level III plate measures 8" x 10" and weighs 7.5 pounds and can stop .308 168-grain bullets, .308 150-grain, and .223 55-grain without armor backing. According to the manufacturer, the best feature of these ballistic plates is the cost, which is 50% less than comparable plates currently available.

Armor Holdings recently announced its aquisition of the Security Products and Services Group, including O’Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt, manufacturers of armored vehicles. Originally known as Hess & Eisenhardt, this company has provided armored passenger vehicles for international heads of state, including every American President since 1948. O’Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt produces a wide variety of custom armored vehicles for dignitary protection, security work, and other applications.

Ballisti-Guard is the new name of Ballistica and they have moved to Circle Pines, MN. Ballisti-Guard produces Level IIIA door armor for police cars. The panels, made of KEVLAR, are ready to paint and are less than 1/4" thick.

DuPont Advanced Fibers Systems has been producing KEVLAR fiber for over 25 years and now is focusing on multithreat protection. Police officers face threats from firearms and edged weapons and new variants of KEVLAR are designed to protect against attacks by guns, knives, and ice picks. The new vests are lighter and more flexible than older models which depended on ceramic or chain mail panels.

There were 29,000 assaults against correctional officers last year, according to DuPont, and KEVLAR MTV technology is a new design in correctional armor. MTV resists both stabbing and slashing attacks, and has passed the California Ice Pick Test, in which an ice pick attached to a 16.2 pound weight is dropped from five feet, developing 81.1 ft./lbs. These vests are designed to wear under the uniform and are available in Threat Levels II, IIA, and IIIA.

Corrections USA (CUSA) has endorsed KEVLAR Correctional armor, used in Second Chance Monarch III+P+ vests. CUSA concentrated on weapons found mainly in prisons and testers used a variety of strikes: straight thrusts, roundhouse thrusts, and two-handed overhead thrusts, and found that none penetrated. Unlike mechanical tests, the CUSA testing duplicated real-life threats.

First Choice is introducing the new Millenium Ballistic Stab-Resistant Super-Flex Series, which the company states offers lighter weight than any of its competitors. These vests are similar to the Millenium Series, but include cutting edge technology to make them lighter and more flexible than the previous models. The new vests are certified to the new NIJ 0101.04 standard, and come in Threat Levels II, IIA, and IIIA. They include many new features, such as a 4" front strapping system, a front zipper for easy removal of panels, and a choice of padded or elastic shoulders.

First Choice is also introducing a new series of combat/raid helmets, designed for comfort, with a three-way adjustable strapping system so that one size fits all. Each helmet comes with a leather headband for comfort and they weigh less than 3.5 pounds in Level IIIA.

Also new is a series of ballistic shields, offered in Threat Levels IIIA and III. These come in 19" x 36", 24" x 48", and 24" x 37". The Level IIIA shield is 19" x 36" and weighs under 16 pounds. An optional light is available for the new shields.

Guardian Technologies International has changed its name to ForceOne, LLC and moved to Spruce Pine, North Carolina, from Sterling, Virginia. ForceOne has also redesigned its vests to meet the new NIJ 0101.04 Standard. The new models are:

The Defender uses GoldFlex fabric and has a ripstop poly/nylon carrier available in several colors. The vest uses Cool Flex for cool and warm weather comfort, and contains an internal trauma pack. Six-point adjustable straps allow a customized fit.

This model uses KEVLAR 129 and GoldFlex fabrics carried in a poly/cotton carrier with adjustable six-point straps available in several colors. An internal trauma pack is standard.

The four vests mentioned are covered by a standard five year warranty or an optional nine year warranty. Full coverage male and female designs are available.

The Corrector

The K-9 Protector is (obviously) made for a dog, in Level IIA or Level II protection, with a one-piece frontal design and a layer of Cool Flex for comfort in warm and cool weather, and offers improved air circulation for extended K-9 working time. Using both Spectra and KEVLAR, this hybrid design has a removable carrier for easy cleaning and a removable panel with a choice of lettering for visibility and identification.

Frontline Tactical Systems produces a variety of tactical vests and undercover body armor. The Strike Force Tactical Vest is a two-piece slip over model providing 360 degree protection, with front and rear pockets for strike plates. Also included is a snap-on throat protector and extraction strap. The vest is made in Level IIIA and can be ordered for all levels up to Threat Level IV with optional strike plates.

The Phoenix Tactical three-piece vest is modular and more comfortable — with strike plates and an extraction strap. Optional pockets are available.

The Minuteman undercover vest provides 360 degree protection (including the shoulders), is available in all threat levels, and contains a front pocket for a trauma plate.

The Motorman has full coverage, with a removable back panel for ventilation on hot days. The Motorman comes in all threat levels and has a front armor plate pocket.

Frontline Tactical Systems is the only designer and manufacturer of body armor systems in the world authorized to use Talion, Inc. Passive Cooling Packs to provide comfort on hot days. This system uses bladders of cooling liquid in pockets behind the armor, providing both cooling and blunt trauma reduction (up to 90%+). Bladders are designed to be recharged by placing in a refrigerator.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police and DuPont continue to promote their KEVLAR Survivors’ Club, formed in 1987 and composed of officers who have survived deadly or potentially incapacitating injuries by wearing KEVLAR ballistic vests. The purpose of the club is to document survivors and to encourage the use of body armor, as well as collect data relating to the use of body armor for the benefit of the law enforcement community.

To date, 2,500 officers have been saved by wearing KEVLAR body armor.

Officers who have survived assaults with firearms, edged weapons, clubs, and other weapons, as well as accidents such as car crashes, may join by contacting:

Anna Knight, Club Administrator
5401 Jefferson Davis Highway
Richmond, VA 23234
Phone: (800)441-2746
Fax: (800)383-2477
Web site: www.kevlar.com
E-mail: Anna.G.Knight-1@usa.dupont.com

Membership is not limited to American officers, as several members of other nations’ police forces have qualified by surviving deadly incidents.

The vest was designed by City of Winnipeg Police Constable Jim Slater, a 15 year police veteran who is assigned to the department’s K9 Team.

K9 Storm also produces a riot/prison vest for police pooches which is available in two levels of stab protection. Using KEVLAR correctional fibers, the vest is designed to resist both stabs and slashes.

Morgan Advanced Ceramics has introduced Alumina ceramics for body armor applications. These "tiles" can defeat projectiles up to NIJ Threat Level IV. Tiles are available in single curvature monolithic models, double curvature monolithic models, and groin tiles. There are also smaller tiles in flat or curved models available. Tiles are also available to meet customer specifications.

O’Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt has introduced a new product designed for law enforcement, a portable Assault Rifle Shield weighing just 50 pounds and designed to resist steel-core rifle ammunition. Made of composite armor and with a ballistic steel frame, the shield measures 21" x 38" and protects against high energy rounds from weapons such as the AK-47, M16, FN-FAL, and M60. A two-piece viewing port made of polycarbonate absorbs multiple hits and allows continued visibility even after initial impacts on one side or the other.

PACA has introduced several new items this year. The Pegasus Series is certified to NIJ Standard 0101.04 and comes in several variants.

The Thunder Series comes in Levels IIA, II, and IIIA, and the Lightning Series covers the same threat levels, but is thinner and lighter. For example, Thunder Level II is .185" thick and has an areal density of .80. The corresponding Lightning is .179" thick, and has an areal density of .70. Both feature AquaDuct inner lining, six-point adjustable straps, 5" x 8" trauma plate pocket, soft trauma plate, front and back shirttails, washable 65/35 poly/cotton carrier, customized fitting, and both come in black, white, navy, tan, and OD Green.

The Vector comes in Levels IIA, II, and IIIA and features stretch neoprene straps, AquaDuct inner lining, nonslip molded adjustment tabs, and hidden front and rear shirttail security. Accessories offered are a metal trauma plate, Flexi-Shield insert, quilted outershell, additional carrier, and a nylon carry bag.

PACA also makes correctional armor, and one model is the Thrust Guard Series, made to NIJ STD 0115. The areal density is 1/4" psf and the thickness is .8". The vest is also certified to the California Ice Pick Standard and the collar and shoulder pads provide increased blunt trauma protection. The vest has complete front, side, and back stab protection, and slip-on construction. There is an adjustable abdominal belt with a protective cover flap, and the carrier is made of water-resistant Anso-tex with 420 denier nylon interlining. The Thrust Guard panels are removable for carrier laundering, and the vest only comes in black. An option is Level IIA ballistic protection, and an optional groin protector is also available.

The Thrust Guard High Coverage (TG-HC) has the same certifications and offers wraparound protection. The shoulder straps and abdominal belt are adjustable, and the vest comes with the same Anso-tex interlining. Panels are removable and the carrier comes in black only. The vest is also available in Level IIA protection, and a groin protector is an option.

The Thrust Guard Concealable (TG-C) is similar, but comes in white, black, or navy. Level IIA ballistic protection is optional.

Pacific Safety Products, Inc.

Pacific Body Armor is manufactured by Pacific Safety Products. New from Pacific is the Phoenix Tactical Vest with many useful features for tactical personnel. These include a duty belt for additional gear, a man down drag strap, suede lined collar, and a nonslip shoulder for rifle placement. The Phoenix has custom, configurable pockets and an exceptional degree of protection through overlap on the front and sides. It includes high armpit protection and is available with optional ballistic arm, shoulder, and groin protection.

The soft armor panels are constructed from several materials and the vest has front and back pockets for hard armor plates. Pacific makes the vest to several threat levels to meet each customer’s needs, and can include stab protection, as well.

Pinnacle Armor is the new name of USA Armoring, a company featured in last year’s "Body Armor Update." Pinnacle has a new name, but is still located in Fresno, California.

Pinnacle’s new development is a flexible, lightweight vest to defeat high-power rifle rounds, rated at Level III, in both covert and overt designs. These are known as the SOV-2000 and the SOV-1000, and use ceramic alloy and titanium alloy plates, respectively.

Pinnacle Armor has also developed Secura Glaze window reinforcing systems, designed for anchoring blast and ballistic window panels.

The X-2 and X-2 Plus are new stab-resistant vests designed for correctional use, using "fish scale" alloy panels to defeat stabs and projectiles. The 3/16" thick X-2 is lightweight, at 18 ounces per square foot, and will resist projectiles and stabs at up to 45 ft./lbs. of penetration energy. The 1/10" thick X-2 Plus also protects against armor-piercing pistol rounds, and will stop ice pick and stab attacks at up to 81 ft./lbs. of energy, weighing less than 1.6 pounds per square foot.

Point Blank introduced its new S.P.I.D.E.R. Tactical Vest in December 2000. This new system has combined the most frequently requested, mission specific options and included them in the new design. Among the features included are an improved front opening design for easier donning and doffing; front and back hard armor plate pockets; ballistic bicep protection; attachment for throat protector; modular file butt retention; hidden groin protector with quick pull-down feature; Flex-Cuff compartment; emergency man down strap; inside pockets for cooling inserts; and the new design hides communications wiring.

The new design is available in Fusion, Beast, Hi-Lite Pro, and GoldFlex ballistic configurations.

Progressive Technologies has introduced a Zylon-based line of ballistic vests, the HYBRID 2001. These vests use multilayer Zylon fabric technology and Honeywell GoldFlex to provide both blunt trauma protection and thinness; for example, HYBRID 2001 Level II panels are 3.99 mm thick and Level IIIA are 4.42 mm thick. The areal density is 0.73 psf for the Level II and 0.93 psf for the Level IIIA. These are certified to the new NIJ Standard 0101.04.

Also new is a friction-free concealable carrier, with advanced nylon fabric composition, to avoid bunching and snagging. The carrier also has an ergonomic back flap for concealability. An optional moisture wicking mesh inner lining is also available.

RBR Tactical Armor has a new Level IIIA Combat Mark II ballistic helmet, incorporating the low profile design of the original helmet with enhanced ear space to accommodate communication systems and respirators.

Safariland has announced a contract from the Department of Defense for the Concealable Body Armor Plus (CBA Plus) vest. This is soft body armor with a ceramic panel, designed to resist rifle fire. The new vest is planned for military police, criminal investigators, and VIPs. The new contract, to run through the year 2004, calls for up to 18,000 vests, 14,000 ceramic plates, and 18,000 extra carriers.

Second Chance, the company which introduced Zylon body armor at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference in 1998, has introduced several new ballistic products. One is a portable ballistic shield, called Rampart, for use by police teams in raids, hostage negotiations, barricaded suspects, and high risk warrant services. These shields come in Level IIIA, III, and IV, and in several standard sizes: 18" x 26", 20" x 36", 20" x 42", and 24" x 36". Designed for an officer to hold in front, these shields come with single handles, vertical double handles or a fully rotating handle. Other features are a NiCd or lithium powered light, ballistic viewports, and flat or curved configurations.

The 9th Generation Ultima +P+ Model earned dual certification from the NIJ, having passed both the NIJ 0101.04 ballistic standard and the NIJ 0115 puncture standard. In plain language, this means that the new vest is resistant to both projectiles and stab/puncture weapons.

A new hard armor plate for insertion into front pockets of Second Chance vests is the AP-III+, which measures 10" x 12" and is 0.55" thick. The 5.3 pound plate provides Level II protection by itself, and Level IV when combined with a Second Chance Level IIIA vest.

Teijin Twaron, producer of Twaron Microfilament Fiber, will soon introduce a new product from their LFT family. This optimizes fabric construction which maximizes Twaron Microfilament yarn properties, offering thinner and lighter ballistic panels, compared to conventional woven material.

21st Century Hard Armor has introduced a better fitting K-9 vest, the Four Paws, in Threat Levels II and IIIA, which is ideal for bomb sniffing, aggressor attack, and SWAT duty. The durable Cordura 500 denier carrier is snag-resistant against brush, protecting the dog while on patrol. The ballistic panels are removable for easy cleaning of the carrier. It is available in black, woodland camouflage, and safety orange.

U.S. Armor now produces correctional armor made to the new NIJ Standard in three stab-resistant protection levels and in several styles: Concealable, Lightweight Tactical, and Prison Riot Vest. All are flexible, lightweight, and affordable.

Also new from U.S. Armor is the Breacher Blanket for use by tactical teams during explosive entries, such as into narcotics houses. Another new product is the Bomb Blanket designed to contain the detonation when explosive devices are destroyed on-site. These eliminate the need for peripheral equipment. Another new EOD related product from U.S. Armor is the EOD Range Disposal Vest, specifically designed to protect the officer from accidental detonations of unstable explosive devices. It was also developed to address the recent rise in accidents related to the seizure of illegal fireworks.

All of these products were developed with extensive research and feature improvements over existing products.

There are some interesting possibilities for body armor under development and we’ll look at one. The National Institute of Justice is collaborating with the U. S. Army to design a lightweight, concealable vest which will protect against rifle fire at point-blank range. Today’s soft and concealable body armor protects only against handgun bullets. "Tactical" armor, containing a metal or ceramic plate to stop rifle fire, is thick, heavy and, certainly, not concealable. The new Concealable Body Armor (CBA) is designed to stop an AK-47 round. Information released by the NIJ indicates that the new vest weighs about eight pounds and contains an insert to stop rifle fire.

One thing is certain: The future holds promises of improvements in body armor. The only questions are: "How soon?" and "How good?" Well, maybe one more: "How expensive?"

Good luck and stay safe.