U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at providing next-generation body armor specifically tailored to meet the coverage, fit, and functionality needs of female law enforcement personnel at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Recent ballistic testing conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) revealed significant vulnerabilities in the body armor currently used by DHS officers. The tests found that the standard body armor can allow bullets to deflect off the chest and hit the throat area, leaving female officers—and some male officers—exposed to potentially fatal injuries. This new bill mandates that all DHS agencies equip their law enforcement personnel with improved, properly fitting ballistic body armor.
“Our brave Department of Homeland Security law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe. They deserve the best possible equipment to protect themselves when on the job,” said Senator Peters. “This commonsense bill will ensure all officers, regardless of gender or body type, have access to the most advanced and effective body armor available and are protected when in harm’s way.”
In 2022, the FBI conducted ballistic testing using updated procedures and enhanced body molds that better represent different body types. These tests discovered that the commonly used body armor, when tested on female and certain male molds, was susceptible to bullets or other projectiles ricocheting off the top center of the front armor panel and into the throat area. Such an occurrence could be fatal for officers. Although improved ballistic body armor has since been developed and is available, DHS has not yet provided this potentially life-saving equipment to their officers.
The bipartisan DHS Better Ballistic Body Armor Act would require all DHS agencies to supply their female law enforcement officers, as well as any other law enforcement personnel, with enhanced ballistic body armor designed to offer better protection in the line of duty.