Body Armor Research Paper

Lack of Body Armor for Female Officers
As an officer of the law they face many dangerous in their line of work and guns are a big threat for them especially if the body armor does not fit the officer wearing it. More women also have started to join law enforcement, but body armor companies use male models, which causes problems for female officers and their use of body armor. Body armor based off a male body causes problems for females using the armor because it can be uncomfortable, heavy, and ill fitting. One officer being killed in the line of duty is too much, but most officers use body armor and the few female officers killed are not wearing body armor because the vests are uncomfortable, lack protection, and affect an officers performance.
Body armor designed after a male model
Body armor is tested only on males and expects females to wear the armor disregarding their body shape. “The original test methods for body armor were designed around a flat torso, and obviously the female anatomy is different from that” (Michele
Coppola). Michele talks how the companies who design body armor use a flat torso or males because of the flat torso. Melanie Basich says “if you put a male vest on a woman with an ample chest, the sides of her breasts are pushed out to the side and she has no side coverage on her chest.” Melanie’s talk about breasts in body armor is a problem because the armor will not be effective and would not cover the torso properly. If female officers body armor does not fit it is “less comfortable and therefore less capable of doing their job, and this “also means that complete protection cannot be assured” (Harding). Wearing body armor “is only at its most effective if officers have the right fit for their size and shape” (Coppola). Coppola talks about how body armor performs at its best if it fits, but female officers are wearing vests designed from a male model. Female officers also are exposed to more threats because the vest cannot fit properly because it’s designed for male officers or more flat chested officers.
Uncomfortable body armor makes officers less likely to wear it
Female officers wear male designed body armor, which can be very uncomfortable and lead to gaps in the armor. Recently there has been many shootings, which is why “officers are more likely to have rifle plates in their car than any other moment in history” (Bertomen). And David Griffith also explains that for body armor to protect against rifles it would be “heavier, stiffer, and more uncomfortable,” and this can provide problems because if body armor is heavier and stiffer to protect against rifles female officers will be in more danger than anytime in history. Female officers using body armor experience more problems like “improper fit, riding up on shifting out of place, skin abrasions, bust cups too large and bust cups too small” (Coppola). These make the body armor uncomfortable and unable to wear because it can affect performance and mobility. Nathan James says that law enforcement officers do not wear vest because it causes “discomfort through reduced mobility, increased weight, heat build-up under the vest, and chafing.” Female officers do not wear their vests because of the lack of comfort and reduce performance. Body armor does not take the female bust into consideration and this affects how the protective panels are designed and incorporated into the body armor, but this leaves a gap in the side of the vests, which decreases protection and increases risks. (Paraphrasing). Female officers face many dangers because their body armor does not fit properly which can be deadly if a bullet gets through the gaps because of ill fitting body armor. The lack of comfort also affects performance and mobility, which increases risks for officers out on patrol.
Corrections and patrol officers Police officers who are on patrol are always in danger, but with protective vest they can feel a bit safer and could potentially survive an attack.
More agencies have body armor, but large cities require money to provide the vest. Officers working the “streets of an inner city is much more likely to face threats from an assailant with a gun than an officer in a small town” (Safe Guard Armor). Correction officer are also in danger because “inmates are creative and inventive” by creating weapons from “objects or materials they obtain” and these weapons can be “wooden, plastic or metallic” (Coppola). Even corrections officers need a type of vest to protect them from stab or slash weapons. The bigger problem is female officers are also at a higher risk because both bullet proof and stab/slash resistant armor are not providing enough protection. Gaps in the armor could expose areas to get shot and or stabbed increasing the risk of female
officers.
Statistics
The rise of policewoman have increased significantly since the last few years, but woman still do not have enough body armor protection. Since 1971 there were reported 1.4 percent of all officers and today policewomen make up more than 13 percent of officers (Paraphrasing). In 2007 according to the uniform shirt manufacture “women make up 15 percent of law enforcement (Basich). Other companies and agencies are realizing that female officers are increasing and should not be ignored in the field of body armor. The national law enforcement officer’s memorial fund talks how “12 percent are sworn officers are females.” Overall several reports show how close the digits are for total female officers and it is relatively similar. “Over 70 percent of law enforcement agencies issue body armor, and department chiefs usually encourage officers to wear protective vests” (Varma). What good does law enforcement agency chiefs do if body armor isn’t worn by officers primary female officers since they are uncomfortable and less protective. Lindsey Bertomen mentions that our officers “are more likely to have rifle plates in their car than any moment in history.” This is an issue since female officers already have an increased risk due to gaps in their armor and now with an increase in bullet threat our female officers now face more danger while on duty. “Firearms are one of the leading causes of death for law enforcement feloniously killed in the line of duty, according to the “Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), approximately 92%” of “law enforcement officers” were “killed by a firearm” (James). Firearms kill a lot of officers and women who do not have enough protection are at greater risks while on duty. Nathan James also adds how in “another 75% of cases, the law enforcement officer was killed because he or she was struck in a part of the torso that was not protected by the vest.” And adding to this female officers already have gaps and problems with body armor they have less protection and higher risks of being shot through the gaps. Between 2014 and 2015 there were 81 officers killed and 16 of those were female officers. In 2014 67% have body armor and in 2015 59% wore body armor. Even with body armor officers are being killed not as many female officers compared to male officers, but one life is one too many. With better protection of body armor and better comfort those numbers will go down in later years.