FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Lititz Borough Police Department (LBPD) is making a significant change to how our officers carry their equipment.  This will also change the appearance of our police uniform – which most people are accustomed to seeing.

Starting soon, the LBPD will transition to load-bearing outer vests.  The LBPD believes this transition is a safer and healthier alternative to the traditional duty belt design.  Officers typically carry around 30 pounds of equipment on the belt, which often leads to lower-back and hip problems over time.  Law enforcement is a physically-demanding job, frequently requiring officers to stand for long periods of time, sit inside a patrol car for hours, and get in-and-out of a patrol car – among other physical demands.  Although the outer vests themselves are heavier, research has found that the weight is more evenly distributed which results in less strain on the hips and lower back.

Once the decision was made to transition to the load-bearing outer vests, the LBPD undertook an extensive internal vetting process for the product we ultimately decided to purchase.  The vetting process was spearheaded by Ofc. Christopher Armato, who is uniquely positioned to evaluate the products.  Ofc. Armato is a veteran of the U.S. Marines and former operational member of the Lancaster County Special Emergency Response Team (SERT).  We considered factors such as cost, product reviews, appearance, likely community reaction and concerns, performance functionality capabilities, weight, ease-of-use (donning and doffing) and member feedback to select the best product for our needs.

LBPD officers will continue to wear duty belts; however, but they will hold a limited amount of equipment to include the department-issued pistol and other less-lethal weapons.  The arrangement of equipment on the load-bearing outer vest will be officer discretion, with some administrative limitations imposed.

LBPD officers receive annual training in firearms and use-of-force, to include qualifications on department-issued firearms and less-lethal weapons, as well as other carried equipment.  This training results in muscle memory that officers rely upon when accessing their equipment.  Once the officers transition to the new outer vests, they will be retrained to create the same muscle memory response.

Although there is a cost associated with the purchase of the new outer vests, we believe the cost is outweighed by the potential financial savings in overtime costs associated with shift coverage resulting from the use of sick time due to injury, and a reduction in health care costs.  Additionally, officers are able to transfer the ballistic panels from the current “under-the-shirt” vest into the new outer vest carriers – which will realize a significant savings as opposed to having to purchase new ballistic panels.  The ballistic panels are the most-expensive component of any ballistic vest product.

LBPD strategic planning includes the implementation of body-worn cameras in the near future.  Aside from the health and wellness benefits and potential cost savings, the outer vets are ideal for the mounting of body-worn camera equipment.

The decision to transition to the outer vests was made, in part, due to recent research study partnered by the UW-Eau Claire, ECPD and they Mayo Clinic Health System.  In addition to the realization of the positive impacts revealed by the study, there were no negative findings such as reduced range of motion or other unintended consequences that cause safety concerns.

“We understand this will result in a new look that many people in the community are not used to seeing; however, the health and wellbeing of our officers is a priority, and I believe this is the right thing for both the officers and the community,” says Chief Kerry Nye.  “We make this decision, in part, upon reliance of the scientific data which supports this transition, and in keeping with contemporary best-practices in law enforcement.”

Community members and visitors alike will likely start seeing the new vests in the coming days.

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