NCJ Number
238301
Date Published
February 2012
Length
57 pages
Annotation
This report to Congressional Requesters examines Department of Justice initiatives to enhance body armor for law enforcement.
Abstract
Protective body armor used by law enforcement includes ballistic-resistant and stab-resistant body armor. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has instituted several initiatives to improve law enforcement's access to body armor. This report to Congressional Requesters answers three questions regarding DOJ's initiatives: 1) what efforts does DOJ have under way to support State and local law enforcement's use of body armor; 2) to what extent has DOJ designed controls over these efforts and coordinated them with stakeholders within and outside of the department; and 3) what factors affect body armor's use and effectiveness and what steps has DOJ taken to address these factors? To answer these three questions, information was obtained from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) on their programs aimed at improving body armor for law enforcement. Information was also obtained from State and local law enforcement agencies on their perspective of DOJ's body armor efforts. This report presents details on DOJ's body armor efforts, including funding levels and research efforts; discusses the controls and coordination mechanisms DOJ has put in place for its body armor efforts; and discusses steps taken by DOJ to address factors that affect the use and effectiveness of body armor. Recommendations for Executive Action are discussed and include that DOJ should deobligate undisbursed funds, establish consistent requirements within its body armor grant programs, and track grantees' intended stab-resistant vest purchases. 5 figures, 2 tables, and 6 appendixes