Novice question: why don't cops wear full body armor?

[newbie4help]

I know batman-like armor (lightweight, flexible and covers the whole body yet can stop a rifle round) is years in the future, but it seems feasible to wear jointed Kevlar over arms and legs as well as torso, as well as a bullet resistant helmet to protect the head. Is it just too cost prohibitive? Don't swat guys and some soldiers wear full body gear like this?

What I'm talking about would stop most of the firearms cops encounter - handguns and shotguns, right?

 

[Blackbeard]

Probably because it's uncomfortable and they only get shot about once every 150 years.

 

[freakshow10mm]

How old are you?

 

[9mmepiphany]

it's hot, heavy and restricts movement

 

[Atroxus]

How old are you?

Does it really matter how old he is?

I would think that there would be several factors; cost, and comfort I think would be the biggest. I think full body armor would be way more expensive than vests. As far as comfort imagine wearing your winter clothes year round and I suspect that is pretty close to what full body aror would be like in terms of comfort.

 

[Claude Clay]

...cause they would all look like Judge Dread

 

[Balog]

Have you ever worn current issue body armor? An Interceptor vest, with front and back E-SAPIs and side SAPIs is really, really hot, cumbersome, and impedes movement. I shudder to think what even more armor would be like. Wearing 150 lbs of kit while trying to chase down people, climb through windows or over fences etc would make Keystone Kops look like America's finest.

 

[freakshow10mm]

Does it really matter how old he is?

Point being an average adult can logically thing this through and conclude as to why officers aren't in full body armor.

 

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

Aside from the fact that it would be uncomfortable and restrictive (I wear a regular IIIA vest and it's prohibitive) hot, often times unecessary, and extremely expensive.

Also, escalating force is usually not the only solution. Cops carried nightsticks and crooks got guns, cops got guns and crooks got bigger ones, so cops got bigger ones. We have the situation now where regular county police departments ride in armored vehicles with M4's as if they're patroling Bagdhad. The cure for societies problems is not always a bigger hole in the dirt bag. Though sometimes it is.

 

[Averageman]

this may seem like a strange question to the few of us here that have worn the Body Armor he speaks of, but...
I do think it is strange in another way, LEO's are not at war with the general populace they are sworn to protect. The idea that people out there think it is necassary is kind of sad from that perspective.
Media hype seperates LEO's to some degree from the public they serve. Most of the time these Men and Women will be looking for lost kids, dealing with domestic disputes and writing tickets; the hype you see on the National Media is probobly less than .05% of what they do everyday.
I remember when people used to like and respect cops.

 

[cerberus65]

I remember when people used to like and respect cops.

Some of us still do (and I'm not LE and neither is anyone in the family). But I have always insisted that my children say "it's the police" instead of "it's the cops". If we want our culture back we have to take it back one child at a time. Teach them right!

Sorry for the thread veer! +1 on it being way too hot, mobility-impairing, and expensive to wear more than a vest. The vest protect the most vital parts - it's an odds game.

 

[woodybrighton2]

its uncomfatable costly and a complete pain.
while you could wear an EOD suit that would protect from most rifle fire being able to move and get into cover if SHTF is probably more useful

 

[Fred Fuller]

OT for S&T...

lpl