The world in which we live can be a dangerous one. It doesn’t take much digging to find stories of violence, unrest, and people deciding to take matters, in the shape of a gun, into their own hands. Tensions are high across the country and throughout the world as different groups struggle to find common ground. Celebration of diversity clashes with intolerance and prejudice for people who are different. In all of the advancements, progress, and societal evolution we have seen as a collective species, it is somewhat astonishing that there is still such a prevalent mentality of us against them, in any sect, group, or banner that people choose to label themselves under. The violence that then ensues is both senseless and unnecessary. It only leads to more division.
Body armor clothing for protection
There are plenty of people who believe that peace is still a possibility. There are ways to unite as one species instead of divide hatefully based on opinions, race, sex, gender, or whatever else the powers that be decide to use as a tactic of division. In the meantime, things can be quite dangerous, especially for those who put themselves into danger to protect others. Body armor clothing can be a life saving choice for those who choose the life of law enforcement. Police duty gear has been known to protect the lives of numerous individuals, those who are more frequently in the line of fire than regular civilians. Over the course of the last 30 years, armor vests have prevented the deaths of over 3,000 police officers, and just in New York City since 1978, 87 law enforcement officials have body armor clothing to thank for their lives.
Body armor for law enforcement safety
If there is any question as to whether or not body armor is necessary for police officers, it has been estimated that more than 33% of law enforcement officers who have lost their lives within the last decade were victims of fatal gun shots. This places shootings firmly at the second highest slot for police officer deaths, just behind car crashes. One estimate from suggests that an officer’s chances of dying from a gun shot wound to the upper body is 3.4 times higher for those who are not wearing armor vests. For this reason and many similar ones, 71% of police departments on the local level require their officers to wear those vests all the time, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
There is enough senseless violence in this world. No, our law enforcement system as a whole is not perfect, and there is a lot of work that needs to be done to weed out the corrupt, power hungry, or unjust cops from those who are actually attempting to serve the greater good. But in the meantime, body armor is a good deterrent to those unfortunate and untimely deaths.
