New Website Provides Facts About Body Armor Standards, Testing and Practical Use

Law enforcement and corrections officers have a new resource for determining how to purchase high-quality equipment that could ultimately save their lives. PoliceArmor.org features news and information on body armor that meets the standards set forth by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). Provided by the people who write the standards, test the products and promote officer safety, PoliceArmor.org is a one-stop resource for body armor information.

NIJ and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), both components of the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, have teamed up to offer tips on how to select, purchase, wear and care for body armor. NIJ's National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) hosts the site. PoliceArmor.org highlights NIJ's Compliance Testing Program and features targeted messages for law enforcement leaders, female officers and those working in corrections. It also includes real-life accounts of officers who survived potentially deadly assaults.

BJA is actively involved in a variety of officer safety and wellness initiatives and administers the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1998, which provides federal funds to state and local jurisdictions to purchase vests. NLECTC administers NIJ's voluntary compliance testing programs for personal body armor and provides technical support for PoliceArmor.org. For more information, contact asknlectc@justnet.org.