MIAMI (WSVN) - Miami-Dade Police are gearing up with new equipment, and it could keep them safer on the streets.
Officials say the goal is to add protection for police officers, as well as the community, while they respond to violent confrontations.
“What we are about today is additional protection for the men and women who take the oath to protect us as a community but also ratchet up the protection we’re going to provide for each of them,” said Miami-Dade County Commissioner Sally A. Heyman.
It’s a state-of-the-art Protective Enhancement Gear — or PEG — meant to add to an officer’s protection, when she or he comes across a dangerous situation.
“This gear, what’s really important and special about it is that it is graded against blunt force trauma,” said an MDPD officer, “and I’m not going to do this to our model, but in the demo, they take a bat and hit the person wearing it on both sides.”
The specialized suit comes from Israel.
Miami-Dade officials and specialists brought it back from a mission to find innovative ideas..
“New concept from Israel, innovative product, and this is the first in the country to try it out,” said Heyman. “We hope to be the first government to implement it.”
The armor-like suit is not only sturdy, with inserts that distribute the impact of blunt force trauma, but also versatile.
The plan is to buy 220 units with some corrections made to the original model.
Those will then be distributed equally throughout all the police departments in the county.
As for how much it will cost…
“We’re negotiating the price right now,” said Heyman, “and bulk purchase will bring the price down to get the best bang for our buck.”
Miami-Dade officials said they’re working with Israeli vendors and the government to finance these suits.
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