On Tuesday, August 17, the Valdosta Police Department issued new plate carriers to all its officers to better protect themselves when responding to the call of duty. In addition to receiving these carriers, officers underwent tactical training to familiarize themselves with the vest’s capabilities in addition to practicing active shooter drills. Police Lieutenant for the department’s Training Division Brett Boyd discusses how this new equipment will aid in their ability to protect and serve the community.

At the end of their training, officers were familiar with the plate carriers and their limitations. They also practiced active shooter scenarios using simulation rounds to allow the officers to practice shooting, target acquisition, and using the carrier.

Essentially, these plate carriers are nylon vests with a ballistic panel or plate sown in to stop high-power rifle rounds the officer may encounter. Though they are not intended for daily use as the soft body armor officers wear while on duty, they are meant to be worn in conjunction with the soft armor during a high threat level situation. The plate carriers and soft body armor can weigh up to 21 pounds each, totaling 42 pounds when worn simultaneously—making the equipment quite heavy but significantly increasing the level of protection for the officer.

These carriers are necessary for a few reasons. The first is that today law enforcement officers encounter high power rifle rounds more often than in previous years. “As firing technology advances, we are also starting to encounter more riffle rounds. Rounds can now be fired through smaller weapon platforms, and because they are being used in more crimes and we are starting to encounter them a lot more, it only stands to reason that we should be protecting our officers,” said Lieutenant Boyd.

The second reason would be that tactics are changing more in law enforcement. In the past, when officers would respond to an active shooter scene, they would surround the area and wait for backup from the SWAT Team. Now, when police arrive on the scene, they are trained to enter the scene and neutralize that threat immediately. For this reason, we need to protect our officers and make sure they have the equipment and the tools to do their jobs and save lives. 

“It brings peace of mind knowing that the officers are equipped to respond to even a critical incident where someone may have a high-power rifle. Still do their job to stop an active shooter or stop a threat, which will ultimately keep Valdosta residents safer. It is important we protect our officers not just for their sakes but for the citizens so we know we can get there and do the job we need to do,” said Lieutenant Boyd.