New Bulletproof Vests and Shields to Protect Police Officers, Distributed on Site Starting June

New stab-resistant clothing models to be distributed to field police officers starting this June. From the top left: multifunctional stab-resistant clothing, inner-layer stab-resistant clothing, cut-resistant jacket, and neck stab protector. Below is the new medium-sized shield.
[Photo by National Police Agency]

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The National Police Agency announced on the 7th that it will distribute new police safety equipment to field officers starting from the first half of this year to enhance the safety of officers working under the risk of knife attacks and other dangers.

According to the National Police Agency, as of 2022, there were 1,451 injured police officers, with 23.2% (336 officers) injured due to attacks by suspects, an increase of 284 from the previous year. On the 19th of last month, an incident occurred in Songam-dong, Nam-gu, Gwangju, where three police officers were injured by a suspect wielding a knife.

The newly distributed police safety equipment includes four types of stab-resistant clothing and a medium-sized shield. The new stab-resistant clothing consists of multifunctional stab-resistant clothing, inner-layer stab-resistant clothing, cut-resistant jackets, and stab-resistant neck protectors. Starting next month, these will be distributed to 17 field departments including community policing, riot patrol units, detectives, and traffic units.

While the currently used bulletproof stab-resistant clothing and insert-type stab-resistant pads are heavy and difficult to wear quickly, the multifunctional stab-resistant clothing can be worn continuously instead of the current outdoor vest. The inner-layer stab-resistant clothing and neck protectors can be quickly layered over the outdoor vest, and the cut-resistant jacket can be worn as everyday clothing, improving convenience.

Each stab-resistant clothing item is marked with red, yellow, or green labels according to the level of protection, allowing officers to quickly select appropriate equipment based on the situation. Additionally, a QR code attached to the equipment enables officers to watch instructional videos at any time.

The new medium-sized shield, developed through a National Police Agency R&D project since 2022, applies technology that significantly reduces impact and is transparent, allowing for clear visibility.

The existing large shield was designed for riot squads and is difficult to mount in patrol cars, while the small shield designed for community policing has a defense area that is too limited, leading to many requests for a larger size. The new medium-sized shield will be mounted on police substations and patrol cars starting next month for active use.

Yoon Hee-geun, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, stated, “As crimes with abnormal motives have been increasing recently, the safety of field officers is more threatened. We expect that by utilizing the safety equipment distributed from this year, field officers will be able to respond to crimes more safely and proactively.”

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