Body armor an everyday part of cops' lives
Oct. 29—Police describe body armor as the one piece of equipment worn by a police officer that can mean the difference between life and death.
The vests typically worn by officers across the state, outside or underneath a uniform, are most likely made of fibers such as Kevlar, which can disperse the energy from some bullets, but not all. While ballistic vests come in a variety of different styles and levels of protection, officers agree the term "bulletproof vest," is a misnomer.
But law enforcement officials say it's still an essential piece of protection that makes officers less vulnerable. Statistics from the FBI's Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted database indicates that of the officers who were shot by a firearm in the torso — the area covered by a vest — those who wear body armor were 76% less likely to be killed than those who did not wear armor. The International Association of Police Dupont/ Kevlar Survivors Club, which regularly recognizes officers saved from death or serious injury by use of a ballistic vest, has honored more than 3,100 officers since 1978.
"It's definitely something that has become for the most part universal. Officers today have entered the profession and from day one have gotten used to wearing body armor," East Lyme Police Chief Michael Finkelstein said.
Like most area departments, East Lyme officers are mandated to wear the body armor, either the under the uniform variety or external carriers, a vest worn outside of the uniform that also has pouches and attachments for carrying gear.
"Officers for the most part are wearing body armor all of the time. I've worn one for 33 years. It's part of my uniform," Finkenstein said.
Officers who spoke for this report declined to speculate on the type of body armor worn by the two Bristol police officers killed in an Oct. 12 shooting, but agreed that the type of armor they were wearing was likely not a factor in their deaths.
State police, who are investigating the incident, have not yet released details such as what type of gun was used but said the officers were attacked from behind in what police suspect was an ambush. Sgt. Dustin DeMonte and Officer Alex Hamzy were killed. Officer Alec Iurato was shot in the leg and survived.
It was the first killing of an on-duty police officer in Connecticut since 2004.
A report from the Office of Inspector General revealed that officers responding to the Oct. 12, 2022 call at 310 Redstone Hill Road in Bristol were shot at by Nicholas Brutcher, who fired more than 80 rounds.
Nationwide, 49 officers were intentionally killed in the first 10 months of 2022, according to statistics compiled by the FBI. It represents a 9.3% decrease compared to the 54 officers killed during the same time period last year. Firearms were used in 83.7% of officer deaths this year. Those shooting deaths included unprovoked attacks, ambushes, enforcement activities and responses to calls of a disturbance or domestic incident. The number of ambush attacks, as is suspected in the Bristol case, doubled from 5 to 10 in 2022, FBI statistics show.
A life saved in Norwich
Area police departments depend on federal funding for the purchase of the ballistic vests, which have a lifespan of about five years. Funding comes through a matching grant program from the U.S. Department of Justice. Departments must have a written mandatory wear policy to receive funds.
Norwich Police Captain James Veiga said his officers are never without vests and carry heavy plated vests, along with helmets, in all police vehicles in the event of a violent situation. There have been several such events through the years.
In 2017, police exchanged gunfire with a man wanted in a home invasion. On Feb. 20, 2019, police were fired upon while responding to a reported break-in on Broad Street.
One of the scarier incidents in Norwich occurred on Jan. 7, 2013 when police became involved in an armed standoff with a despondent man at the Cedar Glen Apartment complex. The man, who had multiple firearms at his disposal, opened fire from an apartment window at responding officers. Officer Jonathan Ley, a 14-year-veteran of the department, was shot four times in the neck, shoulder, hand and leg. He was also hit in the torso where he was protected by body armor.
Ley was wearing a heavier grade body armor and officers at the department agree it likely prevented more serious injury or saved Ley's life.
'An obsolute need'
The National Institute for Justice tests and rates the vests for levels of protection. The so-called soft vests officers wear for day-to-day operations are not meant to stop rounds from a rifle, for instance. Heavier plated vests, or hard body armor, which contain metal, ceramic or composite plates, are more likely to stop a rifle round.
"In general the soft body armor is designed to protect your vital organs from penetration of small arms fire. There are all kinds of other variables. It's a measure of protection and not 100% effective for every situation," Ledyard Police Chief John Rich said.
Rich, a former state police trooper and major crime detective, said the State Police Academy in Meriden has a vest hanging in the hallway as a reminder of its potential to save a life. The vest was worn by State Police Trooper Daniel Sivori who was shot in the chest during the arrest of suspects in an armed robbery in East Haven. He survived thanks to his body armor.
In Ledyard, Rich said officers are allowed to wear body armor under and on top of their uniform. He said he prefers the outer vest because it tends to cause less back issues. It also allows officers to attach gear.
He said he is cognizant of the way an officer looks and that there are some communities would prefer a less militaristic look from their officers. But the vests, he said, blend in with the officer's uniform and abide by rules of a state police accountability bill which mandates an officer's badge and name be on the outside of the uniform.
"Body armor is a critical part of our safety equipment and there is an absolute need," New London Police Chief Brian Wright said. "Everyone wants to return home the way they came into work. Everyone wants officers to be safe. That's the ultimate goal behind everything we do."
Wright said he can't recall any recent incidents where an officer was shot here in New London and would prefer to keep it that way. He said officers, himself included, want to end their careers without ever having "anything remotely close to what happened in Bristol."
John Miller, a staff representative for the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 4, the union that represents 44 police department in the state, said the union continues to negotiate in police contracts for municipalities to provide body armor as a part of their mandated equipment list and replace it after manufacturing warranties expire.
"We advocate strongly for greater police protection, including the expansion of hate-crime laws to include those who work in law enforcement as a protected occupation," Miller said in a statement.
