So if you are a police officer or aspire to become one in the future, it would be in your best interest to understand the basic differences between vests so you can prepare yourself accordingly.
No one understands this more than Michael Letts, CEO and founder of InVestUSA, a nonprofit organization. In 1993, Letts founded InVest USA after he discovered his own police department did not issue vests. Since then, InVest USA has been providing vests to police officers across the country, saving countless officer lives.
And a vest could save your life, too. That is why it is important to understand the fundamentals and types when it comes to vests. Below are the four basic types.
- Soft Armor Plates: They are flexible and more comfortable than most others, but still provide protection and are very strong. Typically worn as a concealed armor vest.
- Hard Armor Plates: They provide a very high level of protection but are bulkier and less comfortable than soft armor plates. They are generally inserted into plate carriers.
- Concealed Vest: These vests are ideal to be worn under the uniform or even under street clothes – perfect for undercover or detective work. Their greatest attribute is that they are difficult to see but still provide adequate protection against small caliber bullets and stabbing threats.
- Full Body Tactical Armor: They provide protection for the front, back, and sides and are often paired with other equipment such as helmets and arm/leg protection. Think SWAT team.
“When we started InVest, the only thing available at the time was what we call a concealable vest, the thing you see under their shirts. Concealable vests will only stop a sidearm. That’s a pistol, that’s all it will stop,” Letts said in a recent interview.
One of Letts’ strategies to keep InVest USA relevant and thriving is that he continually monitors the criminal landscape so he can provide officers with the latest information and equipment. He started by equipping more cops with vests.
“According to FBI statistics at the time in 1993, 52% of cops had no vest nationwide! We were able to get that number down to 19%,” Letts said.
He continued, “Then the criminal element decided to get a little smart about what they do. And instead of using a sidearm, they started using assault rifles, long-range rifles to go after our officers, to actually target them, and to seek to make sure they took out as many as possible. So we had to pause and create new technology. They’re called active shooter vests. These vests have titanium plates in them, they will literally stop anything that’s out on the market.”
As a police officer or future police officer, understand your community, understand the criminal element that is in your area of operation. And once you understand that, don’t become complacent. Everything can change in a heartbeat and the last thing you want to be is unprepared.
