New police vests will carry Tasers (NSW)

[philw]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/new-police-vests-will-carry-tasers/story-e6freuy9-1225772439721

A $1 MILLION redesign of the NSW Police uniform has been ordered because police aren't able to fit Tasers on to their belts.

From next year all officers will be issued with load-bearing vests to carry up to 7kg of equipment.

The Daily Telegraph has learned that a tender was issued last week to replace all police belts with load-bearing vests and it is believed the Government has budgeted for a cost of more than $1 million.

Police sources confirmed that the belts currently used by police to holster a range of items, including guns, batons, capsicum spray and torches, could not accommodate the roll out of stun guns.

The radical new look for the police, modelled on the UK and European uniforms, will be rolled out before the end of the year.

It is also expected that guns will be relocated from belts to thigh holsters.

The belts are responsible for more than 1000 injuries to police officers a year because of their excessive weight. The new utility vests would distribute the weight of the equipment over the upper body. They will carry capsicum spray, extendable batons, handcuffs, portable Motorola radios, Taser guns and cartridges.

Female police officers are already struggling to fit the standard issue weapons and equipment on their current uniform.

NSW Police Association secretary Peter Remfrey said the physical burden that police carried around their waste resulted in more than 1000 back and hip injuries a year.

"We've trialled the vests and they work," he said. "We have been having enormous problems with injuries because of the amount of equipment police wear on their hips."

It is expected that the vests will save up to $1 million a year in worker compensation claims.

"Our police need to be fully equipped to handle all types of situations so are always carrying around a firearm, handcuffs, baton and more," Police Minister Michael Daley said.

 

do any of the Coppers over there have anything like this

[ericire12]

do any of the Coppers over there have anything like this

Yeah, have you not seen the "dont tase me, bro" video? 



Over here they just put the taser on their duty belt...... Seems like a great way to save $1 million

[jnevis]

It's more than just adding the Tazer to the belt.  I can say from experience that carrying all that crap can SUCK.  Hip and lower back problems are rampant.  We started issuing suspenders to guys to pull some of the weight off the hips and distribute it better across the body.  A lot of Deptments are looking at vests to get gear off the belts but still accessible.  Then try running in that crap.  I like the vest idea.  Actually you'll notice that the $1M cost is offset by an expected $1M a YEAR savings in workman's comp claims.

Then you run into the basic real estate on the belt.  A pistol, radio, and handcuffs can cover most of the belt.  Then you add latex gloves and a CPR mask for BSI protection, baton, extra magazines, and a cell phone there isn't much room left.  My daughter isn't a cop but she uses a duty belt to shoot USPSA Production (first time this weekend, but that's another thread) and her waist is so small the holster and four mags cover 80% of the belt.  She wouldn't have room for handcuffs if you replace the second set of mags with the radio.

Ask Modesto (CA) Sheriffs Dept about adding a Tazer to a duty belt.  The original policy didn't specify how the Tazer should be located on the officer.  They had an unruly suspect trying to kick out the door of a patrol car and a female officer went for her Tazer and grabbed her Glock instead.  That's part of the readon the newer Tazers aren't shaped anything like a traditional pistol grip.  The new guidance is the Tazer SHALL be on the opposite side of the officer than the pistol or on a thigh holster. 

Putting a duty weapon on the thigh vice the Tazer I personaly see as a problem.  For years officers have been trained to go for the belt if the need the wepon, bascically the opposite of Modesto is a possibility.  Officer goes for where the pistol used to be and get the Tazer then get shot or stabbed.  Muscle memory is a double edged sword.  I am much faster from the belt than a thigh rig because that is what I normally use.  I only use a thigh holster when I'm also purposely using a long gun 90% of the time.  If I didn't plan on the long gun I use a belt holster.