Interesting story on Newsmax.com about whether security guards should wear body armor like LEOs.
I think that security guards should at least be given the option to be issued body armor by their employer if they want to wear on duty.
Those THR members who work security, does your company provide you with body armor to wear?
Here is the link to the story:
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/8/25/92227.shtml
The 'Bullet Proof' Security Officer?
Bruce Mandelblit
Monday August 25, 2003
A security officer patrolling a hotel parking lot observes a suspicious
person. Without warning, the suspect fires a round into the chest of the officer.
A security guard making his rounds at a packing plant interrupts a burglary in progress. The suspect fires multiple handgun rounds at the guard.
A security officer is shot in his upper torso during a violent bank robbery.
These “real-life†security professionals described above all had two things in common: First, they all survived their shooting incidents with relatively minor injuries, and second, they all were wearing body armor!
Perhaps, in our ruthless post-September 11, 2001 world, it is now time to take a fresh look at the possible role of body armor in the protection of the security professional.
In the layman’s vernacular, it is called a “bullet proof vest.†In law enforcement circles, it is properly called “bullet-resistant concealable soft body armor.†However, whatever you call it, body armor is a proven law enforcement life saver.
How effective is modern body armor?
The 1994 edition of the FBI’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted demonstrates that the risk of sustaining a fatal injury for officers who do not routinely wear body armor is 14 times greater than for officers who do. In other words, according to these government statistics, wearing a vest would increase your chances of surviving a shooting incident by about 14 times!
Since the first recorded incident, on May 17, 1973, of a U.S. law enforcement officer’s life being saved as a result of wearing concealable body armor, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) reports that well over 2,500 law enforcement officer “saves†have been attributed to the use of body armor.
It is interesting to note that although the current generation of body armor was developed to specifically to protect against injury from assault with most common handguns, it has also saved many officers from serious physical injury from other sources, including vehicular accidents. The law enforcement need for body armor is one thing, but what about security officers?
It is a documented fact that security is considered a “high risk†occupation by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
The security profession has a workplace violence rate that is twice the national average. Only law enforcement officers, corrections officers and taxi drivers have higher rates of nonfatal workplace violence.
Private security personnel, in fact, suffer approximately 71,000 incidents of nonfatal “on-duty†violence – and about 76 workplace homicides – annually!
It is one thing to talk about anonymous statistics, and quite another thing to put a “human face†to the numbers. Here are just a very few of the security personnel who were recently murdered in the line-of-duty:
A jewelry store security officer was shot and killed during a robbery by masked gunmen.
A security officer was shot several times and killed by an assailant during a robbery at a strip mall.
A security officer, while at a hotel front-desk, was shot in the chest and killed during a robbery.
Would the wearing of body armor have saved the lives of any of these security professionals? Of course, that is impossible to answer. However, based upon law enforcement data, in general, a security officer would have about a 14 times better chance of surviving a shooting incident if they were wearing body armor.
A Quick Security Tip: Please be sure to check any applicable laws and regulations in your jurisdiction regarding the purchase, possession and use of body armor. Also note that some body armor firms may only sell to law enforcement.
It is important, in general, to research and select the best body armor according to your specific needs factoring in such details as flexibility, thinness, cost, level of protection needed, and the weather conditions in which it is to be worn. There is no such thing as the perfect overall vest – only the optimal vest for your specific purpose.
This is just a brief look at the relationship between modern body armor and the security profession. For more information on body armor, please go to the NIJ’s website: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij.
My Final Thoughts: While there may never be such a thing as the “bullet proof†security officer, it is ultimately up to security managers, working in conjunction with their security staff, to determine whether or not body armor will have a potential role in their comprehensive security strategy. Security managers and officers should consider all appropriate options to keep themselves, as well as their staff and others, as secure as reasonably possible during these truly challenging times.
(Note to law enforcement and security officers and agencies: There is a new low-cost and lightweight state-of-the-art ceramic rifle body armor now available that is designed to be worn in conjunction with your own Level II soft concealable vest and give you up to Level IV rifle protection. For more information on this new officer safety innovation, please e-mail: [email protected].)
Copyright 2003 by Bruce Mandelblit
* * * * * *
“Staying Safe†with Bruce Mandelblit is a regular column for the readers of NewsMax.com and NewsMax.com Magazine.
Bruce welcomes your thoughts. His e-mail address is [email protected].
Bruce is a nationally known security journalist, as well as a recently retired, highly decorated reserve Law Enforcement Officer.
Bruce writes Staying Safe, a nationally syndicated weekly column covering the topics of security, safety and crime prevention.
Bruce was commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel – the state's highest honor – by Gov. Paul E. Patton for his public service.
This column is provided for general information purposes only. Please check with your local law enforcement agency and legal professional for information specific to you and your jurisdiction.
I think that security guards should at least be given the option to be issued body armor by their employer if they want to wear on duty.
Those THR members who work security, does your company provide you with body armor to wear?
Here is the link to the story:
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/8/25/92227.shtml
The 'Bullet Proof' Security Officer?
Bruce Mandelblit
Monday August 25, 2003
A security officer patrolling a hotel parking lot observes a suspicious
person. Without warning, the suspect fires a round into the chest of the officer.
A security guard making his rounds at a packing plant interrupts a burglary in progress. The suspect fires multiple handgun rounds at the guard.
A security officer is shot in his upper torso during a violent bank robbery.
These “real-life†security professionals described above all had two things in common: First, they all survived their shooting incidents with relatively minor injuries, and second, they all were wearing body armor!
Perhaps, in our ruthless post-September 11, 2001 world, it is now time to take a fresh look at the possible role of body armor in the protection of the security professional.
In the layman’s vernacular, it is called a “bullet proof vest.†In law enforcement circles, it is properly called “bullet-resistant concealable soft body armor.†However, whatever you call it, body armor is a proven law enforcement life saver.
How effective is modern body armor?
The 1994 edition of the FBI’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted demonstrates that the risk of sustaining a fatal injury for officers who do not routinely wear body armor is 14 times greater than for officers who do. In other words, according to these government statistics, wearing a vest would increase your chances of surviving a shooting incident by about 14 times!
Since the first recorded incident, on May 17, 1973, of a U.S. law enforcement officer’s life being saved as a result of wearing concealable body armor, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) reports that well over 2,500 law enforcement officer “saves†have been attributed to the use of body armor.
It is interesting to note that although the current generation of body armor was developed to specifically to protect against injury from assault with most common handguns, it has also saved many officers from serious physical injury from other sources, including vehicular accidents. The law enforcement need for body armor is one thing, but what about security officers?
It is a documented fact that security is considered a “high risk†occupation by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
The security profession has a workplace violence rate that is twice the national average. Only law enforcement officers, corrections officers and taxi drivers have higher rates of nonfatal workplace violence.
Private security personnel, in fact, suffer approximately 71,000 incidents of nonfatal “on-duty†violence – and about 76 workplace homicides – annually!
It is one thing to talk about anonymous statistics, and quite another thing to put a “human face†to the numbers. Here are just a very few of the security personnel who were recently murdered in the line-of-duty:
A jewelry store security officer was shot and killed during a robbery by masked gunmen.
A security officer was shot several times and killed by an assailant during a robbery at a strip mall.
A security officer, while at a hotel front-desk, was shot in the chest and killed during a robbery.
Would the wearing of body armor have saved the lives of any of these security professionals? Of course, that is impossible to answer. However, based upon law enforcement data, in general, a security officer would have about a 14 times better chance of surviving a shooting incident if they were wearing body armor.
A Quick Security Tip: Please be sure to check any applicable laws and regulations in your jurisdiction regarding the purchase, possession and use of body armor. Also note that some body armor firms may only sell to law enforcement.
It is important, in general, to research and select the best body armor according to your specific needs factoring in such details as flexibility, thinness, cost, level of protection needed, and the weather conditions in which it is to be worn. There is no such thing as the perfect overall vest – only the optimal vest for your specific purpose.
This is just a brief look at the relationship between modern body armor and the security profession. For more information on body armor, please go to the NIJ’s website: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij.
My Final Thoughts: While there may never be such a thing as the “bullet proof†security officer, it is ultimately up to security managers, working in conjunction with their security staff, to determine whether or not body armor will have a potential role in their comprehensive security strategy. Security managers and officers should consider all appropriate options to keep themselves, as well as their staff and others, as secure as reasonably possible during these truly challenging times.
(Note to law enforcement and security officers and agencies: There is a new low-cost and lightweight state-of-the-art ceramic rifle body armor now available that is designed to be worn in conjunction with your own Level II soft concealable vest and give you up to Level IV rifle protection. For more information on this new officer safety innovation, please e-mail: [email protected].)
Copyright 2003 by Bruce Mandelblit
* * * * * *
“Staying Safe†with Bruce Mandelblit is a regular column for the readers of NewsMax.com and NewsMax.com Magazine.
Bruce welcomes your thoughts. His e-mail address is [email protected].
Bruce is a nationally known security journalist, as well as a recently retired, highly decorated reserve Law Enforcement Officer.
Bruce writes Staying Safe, a nationally syndicated weekly column covering the topics of security, safety and crime prevention.
Bruce was commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel – the state's highest honor – by Gov. Paul E. Patton for his public service.
This column is provided for general information purposes only. Please check with your local law enforcement agency and legal professional for information specific to you and your jurisdiction.
