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Better Protective Vests for Cops

By REUVEN BLAU

Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly Nov. 14 announced that all officers will soon be outfitted with new, uniquely designed bulletproof vests, which better protect officers' necks and torsos and are more comfortable to wear.

CHRISTINE QUINN: Made vests a priority.

Mr. Kelly noted that on Nov. 28, 2005, Detective Dillon Stewart was fatally shot by a motorist he tried to pull over for running a red light in East Flatbush. "The fatal bullet passed through a space where the panels of his bullet-resistant vest did not quite come together," Mr. Kelly told reporters at 1 Police Plaza.

Passed Field Tests

Right afterward, the NYPD convened a special group to determine whether the department could create a new vest that provided additional protection. "A prototype was developed," Mr. Kelly said. "And it was field-tested successfully with Police Officers." The new vests, which cost $560 each, give officers an added inch of protection on the top of each shoulder and along their necks, as well as another inch-and-a-half coverage under their arms by the front and back panel of the vest.

RAYMOND W. KELLY: 'Little bit means a lot.'

Mr. Kelly thanked City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn for her help with the project, after noting the price of the new vests and the cost of fitting and refitting thousands of officers. "This program did not come cheap," he remarked. "This quickly became a multi-million-dollar project."

Ms. Quinn said that funding the vest upgrade was "one of our highest budget priorities." She added that the Council was "incredibly proud" when Mayor Bloomberg last winter allocated an additional $12 million in his Executive Budget in response to its calls for the new vests.

'Won't Guarantee Safety'

Mr. Kelly was quick to point out that better protective gear is not a panacea. "Even an improved vest is certainly by no means a guarantee," he remarked. "Police Officers still put their lives at risk. But when there is an opportunity to give them an edge, we try to provide it."

The new vests are manufactured by Second Chance Armor, Inc., a central Lake Michigan-based company.

Scores of the police recruits who graduated in June already have been outfitted with the unique vests, Mr. Kelly said. "The 1,400 recruits scheduled to graduate in December also have them," he added.

Since August, cops already on the job have been called in for personal fittings, the department said. "Over 1,500 officers have been measured," Mr. Kelly remarked.

Last month, officers in The Bronx began receiving their new vests. "Distribution will continue in the other boroughs over the next couple of months," he said. All officers will have the vests by the end of 2007, he added.

Satisfied Concerns

According to Mr. Kelly, officials were initially "concerned" that the new vests would be less comfortable and possibly restrict movement. "The second support strap actually makes it more comfortable," he remarked, pointing to a Velcro latch towards the top of the vest. "At least that's the feedback that we got. We were concerned about that but it proved not to be the case." Ms. Quinn pointed out that the NYPD was ready to go as soon as the city allocated the funds. "The second they had the money, they weren't just going to buy the vests; they had made the best vest possible," she said. "I think it's a great day for all of us in government ... to make [officers'] lives a little bit safer."

Brooklyn Councilman Vincent J. Gentile said he had started working on the issue in 1998, when the family of Police Officer Anthony Mosomillo approached him. Officer Mosomillo was killed by a paroled drug dealer while executing a search warrant in Brooklyn. "He was killed with his vest on," Mr. Gentile recalled. "The family said to me, 'Had he only had just more coverage on the side of his torso, he might have been safe.'''

'A Culmination'

That began the process of trying to find money and legislation to address the issue, Mr. Gentile said. "This really is a culmination of years of work, but certainly something that will be to the benefit of every New York City Police Officer," he remarked.

Councilman Robert Jackson, the co-chair of the Council's Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus, noted that the issue was personal to him because his nephew is an NYPD cop. "We all know out there that the difference between good and evil is the NYPD force that protects us every single day," he added.

Mr. Kelly noted that the old vests have been put to use in other locations. "We actually sent some of them to the police force in Haiti," he said. "We sent some of them to the military. We are going to distribute them where they can do the most good."