The Covert Bulletproof Vest for Bike Law Enforcement Officers
The perfect protective gear for law enforcement officers, whose daily activities include riding a bike for a large portion of the day, is covert body armor. The level of protection offered by body armor cannot and should not be undermined. There are many instances where police officers on a bike may face a high-risk situation and though their training may suffice for an insurmountable number of other things in relation to defence, their bodies, unfortunately, are not made of Kevlar.
The level of body armor chosen is also very important, as this will determine just how effective the protective gear is at serving its purpose. A threat assessment will therefore need to be carried out. Threat assessments can be carried out by ‘bullet proof vest experts’, companies such as safeguardclothing.com will do a threat assessment over the phone so you can order online.
The levels of covert body armor:
NIJ Levels:
- II a
- II
- IIIa
The right bulletproof vest will fit right!
In order to capitalize on all that covert protective gear has to offer, it's important that the vest fits just right. To do so, proper measurements need to be taken prior to ordering covert body armor.
Also, for female bike officers, the ideal protective gear is one designed for females. Wearing protective gear designed for men comes with an abundance of limitations and in many cases, can do more harm than good.
A vest that fits correctly will:
- allow flexibility
- not be restricting
- not be too loose
- stop a small distance above the belly button
- cover all vital organs
- be comfortable
When thinking of body armor, what typically cross one's mind is heavy overt vests and a member of the military. However, with covert gear, this image is a completely different one. But how?
The features of covert vests you'll want to take advantage of:
- They're concealable
Covert vests are worn underneath clothing as opposed to above clothing like plate carriers. As a result, the wearer is offered a high degree of concealability when the vest is worn correctly.
It may come as a surprise that the knowledge that someone is wearing body armor can be enough to instigate an attack and thus, a concealable vest, is in many instances, a wise decision.
- They're comfortable
Police officers on the bike require a vest that will not restrict speed or comfort but instead, will provide a high level of protection without being a burden to wear. This is something that is not obtained by plate carriers.
- They're Lightweight
Covert vests are lightweight and therefore won't put a substantial amount of strain on the officer when wearing the vest. This is especially important when protective gear is needed for a long duration of time. The lightweight feature also means that bike police will not have their ability to act quickly, cut down when wearing covert body armor.
- They incorporate Coolmax
Coolmax is just one of the great features a bike police is able to take advantage of when selecting a covert vest. The moisture-wicking technical fabric of Coolmax is designed to deal with transpiration.
- Coolmax in high temperatures
When working in environments that are subjected to high temperatures, the moisture-wicking fabric will prove how vital it is when wearing body armor. It follows a term typically referred to as ‘wickaway’, which speaks of the way in which the fabric takes moisture away from the skin of the wearer and increases the level of evaporation on a larger surface area. The specially engineered polyester fibers serve the purpose of increasing the level of breathability of the gear.
- Coolmax in low temperatures
Coolmax is also beneficial to bike police working in colder climates. The fabric draws chill inducing perspiration away from the wearers skin, transferring it to the outer layers, where it can be easily evaporated. This means that the bike police wearing a vest equipped with the Coolmax feature will be able to stay warmer in colder climates and cooler in warmer temperatures.
- They're not bulky
The main purposes of covert body armor are to provide protection and stay hidden. With the implementation of cotton into covert vests, wearers are able to wear their protective gear directly against the skin without being subjected to irritation. Through this, bulkiness is eliminated and even more comfort is attained.
Body armor has saved many lives and as a bike police whose job is one that comes with a high possibility of risky situations, you can never be too prepared.