In the September issue of Law Officer, the "Body Armor Technology" article featured a sidebar titled Stab Resistant Vests. The sidebar stated that most body armor is resistant to slashing and stabbing attempts. This is an inappropriate generalization. While most body armor will provide protection against slashing attempts, it's wrong and dangerous to assume that traditional body armor will resist the penetration of a spike or sharp pointed instrument in a deliberate stabbing attempt.
Law Officer strongly suggests all officers use extreme caution when dealing with persons wielding edged weapons. Often more dangerous than firearms, they can successfully defeat body armor in the hands of a determined assailant. Only vests certified by NIJ for edged weapons should be considered adequate protection from an assailant armed with a knife.
In-Car Video
The "In-Car Video" feature in October had an epilogue that encouraged readers to support vendors that had responded to the writer's request for information. On a previous page, we listed major in-car video manufacturers so readers could obtain more specific information. Unfortunately, when combined with the epilogue, this list gave the impression that most of the manufacturers didn't respond to a request connected with officer safety. That's not the case, and we've found manufacturers to be very concerned about helping improve officer safety. We regret any confusion this may have caused.
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