Bullet proofing officers
Welcome to Debatables, a place where we all talk about the issues of the day. Please keep them on point and constructive. Now to the first topic:
You see it on TV and the movies all the time: A cop gets shot in the chest and is saved by a bullet-proof vest. And then it happens in real life. Makes it seem commonplace. Thank goodness for the policy in Rockingham County in which deputies are required to wear bullet proof vests.
Not so in Guilford where it is optional. Strongly recommended, but optional still. Should it be required? Might save a life.
Comments (1)
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Rockingham County Sheriff Page made an insightful and life saving decision in 1999 when he mandated vest wear. Deputy Kevin Harris likely would have suffered serious physical injury or death had he not been wearing body armor when he was shot this past Tuesday night. Every law enforcement practitioner should be fortunate enough to work in an agency that is not tolerant of officers being disabled or killed. Statistics compiled by the FBI and publisned in the annual LEOKA report points specifically to the logic and circumstances surrounding assaults on law enforcement officers. The risk of sustaining a fatal injury for officers who do not routinely wear body armor is 14 times greater than those who do. Sheriff Page is to be applauded for his commitment to the safety and wellbeing of the members of the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office.
Posted on November 15, 2007 9:56 AM