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Body Armor Study

NCJ Number
77845
Date Published
1979
Length
35 pages
Annotation
This report presents the results of a survey of 1,886 law enforcement officers concerning their use and preference for types of body armor. The survey found an overwhelming (87 percent) preference for the soft, undergarment type of body armor, but a clear lack of desire (75 percent) for a policy which mandates the wearing of such armor.
Abstract
The survey aimed to ascertain officer preference, effectiveness, availability, and cost of body armor. Also examined are police fatality statistics indicating the need for body armor and a summary of testing conducted on five types of body armor. Recommendations are: to not publicize the purchase of body armor for police officers; to purchase the soft type of body armor for all department officers and provide for periodic testing of all types of soft body armor manufactured; to purchase of a sufficient number of hard body armor for use in specific situations; and to establish a policy encouraging but not mandating the use of body armor. Charts, tables, 12 footnotes, and a bibliography of 10 entries are provided. The survey questionnaire and tables of body armor test results are appended.