Body armor (which is commonly but inaccurately called "bulletproof" vests) has saved the lives of more than 3,000 law enforcement officers since 1975. NIJ has revised the standard for body armor to require rigorous testing of the vests that now includes conditions of high heat, humidity and mechanical wear before ballistic testing. The standard ensures that the vests police officer wear will continue to protect them as the material ages.
The revised standard is the fruit of the Justice Department's Body Armor Safety Initiative. The initiative followed the failure of a vest worn by a police officer in Forest Hills, Pa. While the officer survived the shooting, he had serious injuries. The shooting was the only case ever reported to NIJ in which body armor compliant with the standard failed to prevent penetration for a bullet it was designed to defeat.
My department had some difficulty with our new vests. We are currently issued the Sig Sauer 2340 which fires the Sig.357 round. The vests would not stop the .357 round. The entire department had to be issued new vests. Once the new vests were tested, the penetration was not as great. The entire process was an an eye opener for the department.
