Law enforcement safety should be an absolute priority for the United States to help protect cops. Due to the fact that police officers work a dangerous job, they need help being protected from potential danger. Therefore, police duty gear is being developed and has lead to the creation of body armor and tactical body armor! Here are all of the facts on police safety and the armor that these cops wear.
According to government data, during the last decade, there were nearly 60,000 assaults a year on police officers. This is really hard to avoid because police officers often interact with criminals and more. However, this does not mean that citizens should not be protected as well. Instead, it just means that police officers should be given protective gear that keeps them safe.
Over one-third of law enforcement officer deaths over the last 10 years were caused by gunshots, making shootings the second leading cause of police officer death, right after motor vehicle crashes. Some people complain that the police should not be given military-grade assault weapons. However, if the police are given high-quality tactical gear then they would not even really need to use these types of dangerous weapons!
Armor vests have saved the lives of more than 3,000 law enforcement officers over the past three decades. Therefore, real data points to the idea that police officers can be protected by body armor. Plus, when police are given this type of equipment they will feel much more safe on a daily basis. This can help prevent them from reacting in fear of a dangerous situation!
Recent data has revealed that 87 police officers in New York City alone have been saved by body armor since 1978. When real data like this exists then there is no argument on the other side. Not to mention the fact that you would be hard pressed to find someone that does not think cops should be kept safe. Especially if this can reduce the number of aggressive situations involving police officers and citizens.
The chance of dying from a gunshot wound to the torso is 3.4 times higher for officers who do not wear armor vests. With this in mind, it is not wrong or foolish to provide police with great body armor. As a matter of fact, it will definitely help all parties involved!
According to a survey by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 71% of local police departments in 2013 required officers to wear armor vests at all times. This percentage should grow with time especially with all of the recent data that point to the help that can come from wearing tactical gear. Therefore, people should be advocating for the best protective gear possible.
A recent study has revealed that 20% of the officers who died from a gunshot wound to the torso while wearing body armor died because they were shot with ammunition that was more powerful than their body armor’s capability to stop it. Therefore, high-quality body armor is required as there are more dangerous weapons available to criminals. That way, police officers can have full confidence in their safety as they work every single day.
FBI data shows that 66 law enforcement officers were criminally killed in the line of duty in 2016. Of the 66 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in 2016, 62 were assaulted with firearms. According to the FBI, 33 law enforcement officers were feloniously killed with their own weapon in the 10 years. All f this data seriously suggests that body armor can help cops.
In Conclusion
Every single year, the relationship between people and police officers continues to become much more harsh and hot in terms of hostility. Therefore, everyone should work towards providing the best body armor to cops for extra safety. That way, police will feel more confident and comfortable and will not react as aggressively to protect themselves because they have the right type of gear!
