"The compromise we have found works for administration and patrol officers who don't want to compromise the image they have always projected." "Until a couple years ago, the external carriers were mostly tactical, SWAT looking, and public safety administrators didn't want to use them because they preferred the traditional look of the daily duty uniform," Devine says.
POINT BLANK VEST CARRIER PROFESSIONAL
Parts of the shirt visible to the public-pointed collars, shoulders, long or short sleeves, and buttoned shirt cuffs-are made of color-matched polyester fabric to give a professional (and yes, uniform) appearance when worn with the external carrier. To reduce bulk, Elbeco also created the UV1, a thin, moisture-wicking knit-fabric undershirt designed to look like a uniform shirt when worn under a vest carrier. It secures with a side Velcro closure for a custom fit. Conventional, soft body armor panels are inserted into the external carrier's inner pouches, and the external carrier includes functional front pockets, a badge tab, epaulettes, a mic line loop, and flexible, underarm micromesh vents. The uniform-style carrier itself doesn't offer ballistic, stab, or slash protection. Devine, director of sales and marketing for Elbeco. "That's the biggest trend right now: to wear the armor externally," says J.D. What made the V1 different was that it was engineered to work outside of an officer's uniform shirt and was available for both men and women in a wide range of sizes/body types. Underneath the vest, he or she wore a T-shirt, which soaked up the heat and sweat generated by many layers of clothing. At the time, most concealable ballistic vests were worn underneath an officer's uniform, which was usually made of non-breathable material itself. In 2011, the Pennsylvania-based company introduced its V1 External Vest Carrier to the law-enforcement market.
POINT BLANK VEST CARRIER SERIES
Uniform manufacturer Elbeco calls the "V" Series of its Professional Performance System the evolution of the daily uniform. The idea is to allow officers to wear fewer layers. It is worn under the uniform-style carrier.īlauer's ArmorSkin external vest carrier looks like a uniform shirt. "External wear of armor is the most comfortable way to wear it, as it can be removed easily, allowing the officer to dry off and giving him or her a break from the heat and weight of it."įor additional comfort, the company also offers an ArmorSkin Suspension System, a suspender-like contraption that attaches to four points on an officer's duty belt, to rebalance the belt and equipment between shoulders and hips. "The number one reason why police officers refuse to wear armor is discomfort," says Blauer's Senior Vice President Stephen Blauer. The carrier is color matched to the company's lightweight, moisture-wicking ArmorSkin Base Shirts, which come in short- and long-sleeved models, and the same variety of fabrics. It also includes two-way pockets with hidden document storage, epaulets, and a center mic tab. The carrier's exterior comes in a variety of fabrics, including polyester, wool blend, rayon blend, and cotton-blend ripstop, which are matched to Blauer's ripstop shirting and pant fabric. Unlike some other external carriers which are closed via hook-and-loop systems, Blauer's product uses two hidden zippers to close the false uniform shirt and complete the tailored look. The ArmorSkin vest covers an officer's conventional ballistics carrier, which is secured to the body as usual with its straps for a snug, custom fit. Massachusetts-based uniform manufacturer Blauer has developed an external concealable body armor carrier, called Armorskin. The following is a look at a few law enforcement apparel and armor companies, and how they're changing the way you wear concealable armor. Many experts believe if armor can be made more comfortable for officers to wear, then fewer officers will be killed by felonious assault in the future. Of the more than 160 who died, about 53 percent were not wearing body armor, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. police officers were assaulted in the line of duty. In 2011, according to FBI statistics, more than 54,000 U.S.
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