Ensuring the Highest Standards for Soft Body Armor

• NCJ Number: 125091
• Journal: Police Chief Volume: 57 Issue: 8 Dated: (August 1990) Pages: 29-31
• Author(s): C A Gruber; L P Brown; C D Reynolds; R L Dotson
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 3 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Guideline
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

There are at least six threat levels for bullet-resistant vests specified by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), versus five levels in standards of the Personal Protective Armor Association (PPAA).

Abstract

Statistical analysis shows that the NIJ standards are more demanding than the PPAA standards. Key elements to be considered in establishing standards for bullet-resistant vests are velocity, number of rounds, ballistic energy, multiple requirements, wet testing, labeling/testing procedures, and wearer alternatives. Because vests are bullet-resistant and not bullet-proof, minimum standards are not good enough. The NIJ standards insure that vests will be engineered to withstand the threats on the street today. NIJ standards have been endorsed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Police Executive Research Forum, State and local police departments, and officials from various Federal agencies. The authors are skeptical of Du Pont's influence over PPAA standards and vest fiber manufacturer.