Understanding The Most Essential Tactical Gear For Law Enforcement Officers

Whether you’re employed in the field of law enforcement or you’re a regular citizen, it’s important to recognize the fact that police officers require a superior level of tactical gear in order to do their jobs to the best of their ability. The fact is, according to government data, during the last decade there were nearly 60,000 assaults a year on police officers. And while 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, our national law enforcement officers cannot be truly protected unless each and every officer is equipped with the proper tactical gear. Here is some of the most important tactical gear for law enforcement.

1. Body Armor:
   
   FBI data shows that 66 law enforcement officers were criminally killed in the line of duty in 2016, so body armor is an essential component of protection. Bullet proof vests are the best way to reduce the risk of death in the case that an officers gets hit by a bullet. 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 (after motor vehicle crashes).
2. Body Armor Plates:
   
   Many assume that body armor for police officers only consist of bulletproof vests, but what about arms and legs? Body armor plates help the officer to receive better coverage in case they don’t get shot in the chest but in another area of the body. If you want your law enforcement officers to be as protected as possible, investing in plates is imperative. It’s also important to keep in mind 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, so bulletproof vests are far from being created equally. Invest in a high quality vest that is made to last and save lives.

Ultimately, tactical gear is essential for police safety. Don’t let your law enforcement officers stay unprotected.