Name/Title
Sussex Police stab/ballistic vest cover 2003Entry/Object ID
1262Description
Black rip proof nylon stab vest cover, with elasticated waist, shoulder loops for epaulettes, and fixed hard plastic mounts for a radio. There is a front zip fastening and front pockets, each accessible by two zip openings. Over the left breast is a bell shaped Sussex Police coat of arms embroidered badge with word "Police". Over the right breast is a velcro patch for attaching a detachable unit/district badge. There is blue and white fluorescent piping across the front and a blue and white florescent checkered strip along the rear shoulders, over a blue and white florescent "Police" badge. Inside the cover fixed with large press suds is a mesh vest for holding stab/ballistic plates. There is stitched a manufacture's label marked "Maggitt Armour Systems NPV (National Patrol Vest) Carrier" and "Type NPV Female" There follows care instructions and the marking "Date-Serial No. November 2003 D039036. A second sewn in printed label is marked with a Sussex Police badge and marked "Rawlings PC DR371" together with s size code.Use
For a female Sussex Police officer to wear for protectionContext
Throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s, there were increasing concerns nationally regarding the safety of officers, especially from knives and firearms. Police forces adopted longer batons and provided pool protective vets for occasional use, but these were not deemed to be sufficient and personal issue protective vests were adopted that provided combined knife and ballistic protection.
Sussex Police awarded the contract to supply these vests to Meggitt Armour Systems and in September 2003 (Patrol September 2003) began the process of measuring all officers for their vests, which were individually made for them and subsequently fitted to them by the manufacturers. It was essential that the vest fitted properly otherwise it would not provide sufficient protection. Consequently each vest was labelled with the details of a specific officer.
This particular vest cover was issued to PC DR371 Helen Rawlings, a female officer. Originally it would have contained ballistic plates within white plastic covers, which were held inside the inner mesh covers, which were in turn fixed to the outer cover. The date label confirms it was one of the original vets from 2003 and at the time both male and female officers were still wearing white shirts with ties.
To begin with the wearing of protective vests was not compulsory within Sussex Police and it was left to officer's discretion. However over time it became mandatory for any uniform officer, and subsequently PCSOs, to wear one when outside of a police building.
This particular style of vest cover was later replaced with one without the inner mesh cover, with fully contained the protective plates.