New technology making police body armor more lightweight

SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) – Law enforcement officers face safety concerns on a daily basis. From physical assaults to gun violence, remaining safe while on patrol can be a fulltime job, which is why more and more departments are investing in body armor.

On Tuesday, a live-fire demonstration soft body armor was held at the Springfield Police Department’s indoor range. It’s from a company called Blue Tactical in Westfield, which is reportedly western New England’s largest supplier of tactically focused solutions. One of those solutions is an upper body protection designed specifically to stop bullets. “Today, we’re working with our partner, Point Blank, one of the leading manufacturers of body armor in the world. We’re going to demonstrate their new version of soft body armor designed for law enforcement officers. It doesn’t feel much different from wearing this ski vest,” said Andrew Platt with Blue Tactical.

It’s described as being lighter in weight and more comfortable than previous generations of armor and it was on full display as it showed its ability to stop bullets or rounds from guns commonly found on the streets today. It’s a long way from the first Kevlar vests used sporadically decades ago that were bulky, expensive, and offered limited protection from advanced rounds.

“Body armors been around since the 1920′s. It’s slowly gotten better and better over time. Weapons and bullets have improved as well, so this one is more protective, it’s lighter, it’s more flexible and, again, if it’s more flexible and more comfortable, officers are more likely to wear it. The protection increases because they’re wearing it more with less fatigue on their bodies,” Platt explained.

Protection has also increased due to the new material called EXO Kevlar from Dupont. It’s described as an entirely new technology platform and the most significant innovation to soft body armor in over 50 years. “The material that Dupont has come out with, the EXO, is sort of a game changer for us. I mean it’s thinner, it’s lighter, it performs better,” said Gary Critzer with Point Blank Body Armor.

It’s also the difference between a first responder sustaining a fatal gunshot wound or going home at the end of the day with a comparatively minor injury. Platt said, if departments order these new vests, they can be on officers within the next three to four months.