UPD rethinks body armor policy in light of KSL Investigation


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SALT LAKE CITY — On a warm day in July, Utah state park ranger Brody Young carried a brown police evidence bag to a picnic table at Utah Lake. It's where he met KSL-TV's investigative team and, for the first time, showed the bulletproof vest he wore in November 2010.

He pulled his blood-stained vest from the bag. It has three distinct holes.

Young pointed to where he believes two bullets were stopped and a third spot he thinks slowed the one bullet that ultimately lodged near his spine.

It's been almost six years since Young was ambushed at a trailhead near Moab. The gunman opened fire after a short yet friendly discussion, explained Young.

"He emptied a magazine of 15 rounds, hitting me with nine."

Young credits his vest with saving his life.

"I've talked to a lot of officers, and some aren't given a vest, and that's a tragedy."

Young's department gives him a bullet-resistant vest as part of his uniform.

KSL survey

KSL Investigators surveyed 30 law enforcement agencies across Utah and found most require officers to wear a vest and give them one.

For safety reasons, agencies like Young's replace vests when the five-year warranty expires.

But Unified Police Department's system was a glaring exception.

"It's on the officer to go and replace that vest, there is no one mandating that they have to do it," explained Chief Deputy Justin Hoyal.

UPD mandates vests are worn, but leaves it up to each of its nearly 430 officers to buy one, and the department doesn't have a comprehensive database to track who is wearing an expired vest. Therefore, unlike other police departments, supervisors at UPD don't receive notification when one of their officers is in need of a new vest.

"There is no list that's provided to supervisors,"Hoyal said.

After KSL received information that at least one UPD officer had filed a formal complaint over the system, UPD confirmed that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was looking into its practice.

"OSHA did come to our department as a result of a complaint into the bulletproof vests and conducted an investigation," Hoyal said. The investigation is ongoing, he added.

Protecting police officers

Capt. John Ortolano with the Arizona Department of Public Safety and a member of a National Institute of Justice committee that helps set testing standards for body armor says vests are the most important piece of safety gear an officer can wear.

Ortolano recommends police departments develop a system to track when officers need new vests and specifically allocate funding to cover the cost.

"My agency once a year provides a list that says these people are eligible for a new vest," explained Ortolano.

He says officers in his department don't hesitate to get fitted for a new vest and the reimbursement process is simple. They turn in a receipt to verify the purchase has been made and receive full repayment of up to $1,000.

"To me, once every five years, providing up to $1,000 is a very minor investment in a police officer."

Police departments like Salt Lake City's provide vests under what's known as a quartermaster system.

"Before any officer is issued a vest, it'll come through our office and we'll record it," said Sgt. Brett Olsen of the Salt Lake City Police Department.

Staff members electronically track a vest's expiration date, notify the officer when it's time to get fitted for a new one, and then issue the new vest. If an officer's weight fluctuates or a vest gets damaged, an officer returns to the armory to get a new one.

UPD defends system, commits to change

UPD believes its system is keeping officers safe because each recruit gets $300 to put toward the purchase of their first vest and officers get $100 a month, before taxes, as a uniform allowance.

"They are given a uniform allowance to help subsidize the cost of that vest," Hoyal said.

But KSL Investigators added up the costs of buying and maintaining police uniforms, which can eat away at the approximately $800-$850 a year remaining after taxes and other deductions.

Uniform pants can run about $80, shirts around $60, winter coats $300, boots $150 and so on.

This year, UPD officers are facing a requirement to buy formal dress uniforms at about $700.

Privately, some officers expressed concern to KSL TV that the department doesn't verify what officers purchase with their uniform allowance. They also explained that the cost of dry cleaning dirty or contaminated uniforms alone can add up to hundreds of dollars a year.

After KSL Investigators questioned UPD's system, agency leaders gathered for a meeting to address the policy.

"We're looking at a variety of options to change the vest issuance policy," Hoyal said.

He said UPD is working toward providing officers with vests and to create a database to track when they need a new one.

"We want our officers to be safe, we want them to be protected so one, they can go home to their families and two, so they can answer that call for the public when they need our help."

Contributing: Emiley Dewey

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