An armoured vest designed specifically for the bike officer

by Nigel Tottie
IPMBA Industry Relations Committee
N. Yorkshire Police
York, England

Police Officers throughout the world face the daily threat of death or injury, often from the criminal use of firearms. Such threats mean that, sadly, body armour has become an essential part of the modern police officer's uniform equipment.

For UK officers, who face a relatively low risk from firearms, it is the ever-increasing use of knives by criminals which has prompted most forces to now issue armour routinely to their staff. Armour, especially if it incorporates knife-resistant fabrics, is often heavy and restrictive, which makes it unsuitable for officers engaged in anything more than the lowest level of physical exertion.

Whilst the nature of such armour causes no more than slight discomfort for vehicle-based officers, the specific needs of cycle patrol officers - vests which offer protection whilst being lightweight and, as far as possible, breathable - have meant that, until recently, officers on cycle patrols have gone without armour, leaving themselves vulnerable to attack.

These issues have been addressed in the UK by, among others, the company KIT (Kreative Innovative Technology), who have developed an armoured vest specifically designed to meet the needs of the cycle patrol officer. This is the subject of this review.

Armour Specification

The armour itself is designed to be worn as the outer garment of any clothing combination (in contrast to many US vests, most UK vests are designed for overt wear). It is constructed of a hardwearing outer fabric which is reflective yellow in colour, with a mesh inner. The outer fabric has reflective striping which meets the British Standard requirements for working in heavy traffic conditions - the risk to officers of injury from moving traffic is far greater than from any other source - and incorporates an elasticized back to allow for officer movement.

The KIT vest is designed to carry front and rear armour panels and all of the officer's personal protective equipment in one garment, negating the need for an equipment belt. The equipment carried is basically the same as that of US officers - radio, handcuffs, baton and incapacitant spray, but no firearm.

The ability to carry equipment on the vest rather than on a belt serves to spread the weight of equipment across officers' shoulders, vastly reducing the lower back discomfort which a fully equipped belt can cause. Additionally, the Kevlar panels between the officer and his/her equipment affords protection from the equipment should the officer fall.

Use of the Vest

The vest has been used by York officers for the last 20 months and, whilst some slight modifications have been made, the basic design has remained unchanged.

The vest has been used in all weather conditions and has performed incredibly well. Despite being hot in the summer, the presence of the Kevlar armour panels has meant that officers are rarely cold in even the worst British winter weather, meaning that normally only a windproof top and thermal base layer need to be worn, even on the coldest nights.

All York officers on cycle patrol ALWAYS wear their armour, as it is the only means of carrying their protective equipment, and throughout the last 20 months of constant wear the only negative comments have related to the vest's heat retention properties in summer - a factor which is unavoidable if armour is to be worn.

The Good Points
· Relatively lightweight and flexible compared to the non-cycle vest, which is stab-resistant only.
· Ability to carry all of the officers' PPE on one garment.
· Has protected officers from kick/punch injuries during fights with offenders.
· Acts as high-visibility garment in all weather and light conditions.
· Keeps officers warm in cold weather.
· Spreads weight of protective equipment across officers' shoulders.

The Bad Points
· Can become very hot and uncomfortable in summer weather, as the Kevlar panels do not breathe, despite air channels in the vest's liner.

Manufacturer Information

The vests used by North Yorkshire Police York Community Cycle Unit are supplied by Kreative Innovative Technology, Unit 32, Clock Tower Business Centre, Works Road, Hollingwood, Chesterfield S43 2PE. Telephone: 01246 280007; Email: sales@kitinfo.co.uk; website: www.kitinfo.co.uk.

Nigel is a founding member of the North Yorkshire police cycle team and the coordinator of the 999 Emergency Services Cycling Seminar. He can be reached at Nigel.Tottie@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

© 2004 IPMBA. This review first appeared in the Winter 2004 issue of IPMBA News.