Information regarding vests...

[MUC_COP]

Hello,

I am a police officer for the city of Montreal which is located in Quebec, Canada.

I need your help concerning a problem regarding our bulletproof vests. My department has stopped giving us a inner layer casing for our bulletproof vests. This means that we have to wear an outside casing over our shirts. This casing is attached with heavy duty velcro.

This is very unsafe because having to wear the vests with the outside casing makes every patrol officer subject to being pulled from behind very easily since the velcro is so thick. Officers then have to wear the casing with more slack which means that the bulletproof vest is not as effective as being worn tightly under our shirts.

I would like to know your departments policy regarding this and to know if you have any facts or studies proving that wearing a vest under a shirt is safer for patrol officers. I would then have more information to help me deal with my departments bureaucrats.

Thanks!
Nick Robbe
Montreal Police Department
nick_robbe@hotmail.com

[pf217]

My Department gives us the option of wearing outter carriers or not. I prefer to. For me, it adds comfort and gives the Officer a more tactical look. As far as being pulled down from behind - if that were to happen, you probably made some tactical errors to begin with. Plus, if someone wants to pull you down from behind while you're in polyester or cotton, they're going to do it anyway.

I have heard that it is a little bit less safe than an under-the-shirt vest. However, with a trauma plate that I have, if you get shot, it's going to do damage and hurt. Soft vests are made to difuse the impact of the bullet, and some of that effect may be taken away by the slack.

I wear mine because, truth be told, if you're getting shot in the chest, I don't believe that the difference between the two vests will be the difference between getting your shots off or not. Once you're in that position, you're in trouble and life or death depends on more things than an extra inch of space. But again, that is my OPINION.

[Modzilla]

We use both overt and covert vests. It's up to the individual if they wear their issued covert vest for patrols. Overt vests will be worn by them at incidents if they feel its required or if directed to do so by the incident commander.

Sounds to me like you're wearing a covert vest overtly??

If you feel its a matter of safety then i'd refer to your local law with regards to occupational health and safety.

Submit a report with the reasons you feel it's unsafe.

Remember to add words like "to avoid possible litigation" etc.

Because if you get injured as a result of your departments lack of understanding personal safety then they could be sued by you no?

Most departments will cave in when they feel they could be sued in the future if they fail to act now.

[Blackdog F4i]

Our department only issues and only authorizes inner carriers.

Most criminals probably already suspect that we all wear body armor. I just don't want to give them a reminder.

As far as "a more tactical look", are you serious?

I prefer the inner carrier for a couple reasons. First and foremost, I am lazy. The inner carrier allows uniforms last longer because the vest is a barrier for sweat. Less sweat in the shirt means more wears between washing. More wears between washing means the uniforms last longer before fading beyond servicability.

I don't know how your carriers are designed, but my BDU blouse has capacious front pockets. These plus the fact that I stash all kinds of stuff in my carrier in front of the trauma plate gives me a ton of storage.

The best reason the OP brought up is the fact that webbing straps make a great handhold for a judo style throw. Hopefully your department admins will see this before an officer comes up against a skilled opponent.