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Why don't cops wear armor?

Wow....

Scout, T-1 Thunder and Saizai all represented in this one little thread. No wonder it came back to life.
 
Nick said:
Don't forget license2ill. Two years ago, you couldn't slip a thread about gear past him, even in the LEO forum. :laughing
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And oddly enough he's talking about CE approved stuff! :laughing

Oooo and gar chimed in too! AND ME! Hail hail the trolls are all here! Hey, wait a minute... :(
 
:Popcorn
 
d3o?

You'd think a few pads of d3o in critical impact areas would not break either budgets or tradition and keep our finest safer without impairing their ability to perform off the motor. Plus add a couple of inches to arms and shoulders, just as deterrent, for those officers that could use a little "physique enhancement". Sort of like padded bras that harden on impact. I like it already!:)
 
motorman4life said:
If the question is what is the best uniform to avoid losing advantage in a physical altercation, I guess we should all be wearing wrestling uni-tards on the street. .
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This is hilarious:rofl:rofl
 
Bootworks said:
You'd think a few pads of d3o in critical impact areas would not break either budgets or tradition and keep our finest safer without impairing their ability to perform off the motor. Plus add a couple of inches to arms and shoulders, just as deterrent, for those officers that could use a little "physique enhancement". Sort of like padded bras that harden on impact. I like it already!:)
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I think you'd need to legitimately look at moto-cop injury rates, what kind of injuries and therefor determine if that cost (to the public) is justified.

You may find that it's not, you may find that it is. I really don't know.

I know some departments, in Marin County, have textile jackets w/ armor nowadays. I also know that most of us, the instant there's a hint of sun, shed that shit off and wear short sleeves.

It's been said a thousand times -- but it's one thing to be in full gear when you're moving down the road at 30-65mph. It's an entirely different thing to be working, which means being MOSTLY STOPPED, in 80-90F heat, in full gear for 12 hours a day.
 
Antarius said:
It's been said a thousand times -- but it's one thing to be in full gear when you're moving down the road at 30-65mph. It's an entirely different thing to be working, which means being MOSTLY STOPPED, in 80-90F heat, in full gear for 12 hours a day.
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Worse, the uniforms are dark. If you could wear a hi-viz mesh jacket as part of the uniform it would probably work better: mesh because it cools well, and hi-viz to reflect as much light as possible to keep you from roasting.

(AND to make motorist eyes-bleed: The joke is the reason to wear a hi-viz aerostich: So when a car runs you over, your widow's lawyer can go "and he was wearing THIS" (blinds civil jury, jury rules in favor of plaintif..))
 
Antarius said:
It's been said a thousand times -- but it's one thing to be in full gear when you're moving down the road at 30-65mph. It's an entirely different thing to be working, which means being MOSTLY STOPPED, in 80-90F heat, in full gear for 12 hours a day.
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No one is forced to be a LEO. If one was, I would totally be on board with the argument. But, riding a moto is an officers choice. If you choose to ride, then you also must choose to wear the gear. If you don't want to wear the gear, then sit in a car with the AC on. Is it not that simple?


BTW, WTF is with the dragging of this thread from the back room of the basment from under the pile of books!
 
Geeze, this is a zombie thread that keeps coming back to life.

I bought the Tourmaster police model jacket at the beginning of the year. It was $250 out of my pocket, but a fantastic jacket. It's 3 pieces with a nice weatherproof outer liner, warm inner liner, and semi flow through mesh type jacket with armor in all the right spots. It looks good and fits/rides well. I promised myself I would wear it everyday so that I was better protected and set a better example for everyone. I was doing great until temps hit the low 90s and up. I just can't take the heat at that point. It's one thing if you are out on a ride and you have the air moving to keep you cool, but in enforcement riding you are stopped, started, off the bike, on the bike etc. It just too hot with the jacket on. Sweating through two uniforms a day just doesn't cut, no matter how many times I sat in the beer cooler at 7-11 I just can't wear the jacket in the heat.
 
msethhunter said:
But, riding a moto is an officers choice. If you choose to ride, then you also must choose to wear the gear. If you don't want to wear the gear, then sit in a car with the AC on. Is it not that simple?
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Negative, I ride my Ducati on Mines in 90+* in black leathers and its no big deal. Riding with gear off duty is totally different when you're constantly moving and whenever you stop its in the shade and you can rest as long as you want.


The bulletproof vest is the factor you guys are forgetting. Even wearing a short sleeve shirt with a bulletproof vest would be like wearing heated gear in the summer. Not to mention we don't always have the luxury of riding in the mountains or on the coast and in the shade where its cool, we're standing on asphalt in the middle of the freeway that's 120*. I wear good jackets in the winter when its cold, but summer is not an option.
 
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Let this thread die already. We don't wear the stuff suggested because its too hot, too bulky, looks like crap, or all of the above. It just isn't going to happen, so get over it!
 
Well, to be honest, I wish we did a better job of setting an example of wearing proper gear. I do a lot of motorcycle safety stuff. I talk to thousands of riders each year. The question of motors not wearing proper gear is second only to lanesharing questions. We do set a poor example. I personally think we should all be wearing full face modular helmets, jackets with armor, and some armored leg/knee protection. But as has been stated over and over, tradition and comfort are preventing that from happening. I keep hoping somebody will come up with some gear that can reach a compromise. The modular helmets should be a no brained decision for command staffs to authorize, but very few have.

I think the topic is a good one, but it's frustrating that we can't give better answers than we have.
 
(Berkley PD?) started wearing the modular helmets way back when. And some of the outside agencies (other motor-cops) were criticizing on how they looked.:laughing
BPD or maybe some other East Bay motor unit may have been one of the first in N.Cal.
The point is, there have been huge strides in the last 10 years or so.
Chula Vista motors wears textile (pants/jacket) made by moto-port. They love it. Super comfy and light.
http://www.motoport.com/Home
 
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