Very few elementary school children, if any at all, really know the danger police officers put themselves in every day simply as a matter of course. They don’t understand as they are playing “cops and robbers” in the backyard just how susceptible the police officers they look up to are to being killed every day on the job.
Policing has always been a dangerous profession
Every society that has had laws to govern has had some sort of police force to make sure that the people of that society were being kept safe from those who would seek to break those laws and harm others in the process. It has always been the case and will be the case until human beings no longer inhabit the planet.
What is inherently true about criminals is that they are knowingly and willingly breaking the law. Many of them know the consequences of their actions and fully understand that the police will be coming after them to try and stop them from committing the crime in the first place or from getting away if the crime has already been committed.
In a similar way, the police officers in the field understand that criminals will often stop at nothing to get away with the crime they’ve committed. They know that they are in danger of many things, most specifically they are in danger of being shot. That is why bulletproof vests for police officers have become an essential part of a police officer’s tactical gear for law enforcement.
Bulletproof vests for police officers are crucial for police safety
You need only look to government data to see that over the last decade, there were over 60,000 assaults on police officers around the country. many of these attacks took place in the bigger cities, but not all of them. The danger for every police officer, no matter where they patrol, is a very real thing.
Over the last three decades, 3,000 officer’s lives have been saved by bulletproof body armor. Bulletproof vests for police officers reduce the chances of death by gunshot wound by protecting officers at their most vulnerable place. Officers are 3.4 times more likely to die from a gunshot wound to the chest if they are not wearing their vest.
More local police departments are requiring bulletproof vests for police officers
In years past, the idea of wearing a bulletproof vest was not appealing to most police officers. They were bulky and uncomfortable and seemed to stifle freedom of movement. These days, the vests are made of much more lightweight material and have the kind of flexibility that makes them seem like simply another layer of clothing. Local departments all around the country are beginning to invest in vests so that their officers can do their jobs with confidence.
Hopefully, children all over the country will continue to idolize police officers and what the police are supposed to stand for. When these children grow up, some may want to become police officers. Hopefully, by then, they will see bulletproof vests as just another shirt that is just a part of the uniform.