Finding New Life
But then, not everyone wants to get rid of a vest that’s past warranty. Many officers have found ways to put them to good use when given the opportunity.
Although the Torrance (Calif.) Police Department disposes of most of its vests past warranty, not all of them meet such a fate. “Sometimes they are kept to use in training scenarios or as emergency temporary issue,” says Officer Chad Farley. “We have also donated them to smaller departments in other states and even other countries that could not afford new vests.”
It appears training is a popular application for used vests. Ken Lewis of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office says his agency uses older vests as props for training scenarios. “In the past I have taken the used vest panels to construct clearing barrels for the ranges,” says Chief Harvey.
More inventive uses for ballistic vests past their warranty include:
- Putting them between the driver’s seat and cage in a patrol car
- Putting them in the driver’s side car panel
- Lining the rear of the trunk
- Keeping several in the trunk with a roll of duct tape to tape them on the sides of the car to aid in rescuing an officer
- Lining walls of vans used for tactical operations
- Lining office desks
So what is the right thing to do with a used ballistic vest? That’s still up for debate. It comes down to a question of creativity, liability, and cost. Police departments and the body armor industry are currently working to develop more and better options for the future.
Melanie Basich is senior editor for Campus Safety’s sister publication POLICE magazine.
