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Lightweight Body Armour Program

NCJ Number
77460
Author(s)
Anonymous
Date Published
Unknown
Length
0 pages
Annotation
Directed at law enforcement personnel who are participating in a special field test evaluation, the film explains the reasons for and the purpose of the Lightweight Body Armour Development Test Program.
Abstract
The film notes that since 1968, attacks on police officers have more than doubled. In recognition of this problem, Government and private industry have cooperated in a program to test the protective and durability qualities of lightweight body armour. Team participants in this program include law enforcement groups; industry; the Mitre Corporation; the National Bureau of Standards; the Aerospace Corporation; the U.S. Army, particularly the Edgewood Arsenal, Natick Laboratories, and the Land Warfare Laboratory; the Atomic Energy Commission; Lawrence Livermore Laboratory; LEAA; and NILECJ. Funding has been provided by LEAA and NILECJ. Garment design objectives are inconspicuousness, continuous wear, full mobility, protection against the most probable threat, no incapacitation, and no ballistic penetration. Kevlar was chosen as the best material for the protective garments over several others, including nylon, rayon, dacron, and marlex-xp. Technical laboratory tests were performed, and environmental considerations were taken into account. Two types of undershirts are to be evaluated in the field tests, which will take place with about 4,000 participants in 15 cities across the country. The film notes that when a person who is wearing the lightweight protective garment is hit by a bullet, the chances of having to undergo surgery are between 7 and 10 percent, whereas that same person, without the garment, would have an 82-100 percent chance of having surgery. The field tests will also collect data on any participants who are hit by a bullet or otherwise atacked while wearing the garments. The garments are designed only as protection against common handguns.