FremontPD_1016_Body_Armor_3208881

Policy 1016Fremont Police Department Body Armor 1016.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE The purpose of this policy is to provide law enforcement officers with guidelines for the proper use of body armor. 1016.2 POLICY It is the policy of the Fremont Police Department to maximize officer safety through the use of body armor in combination with prescribed safety procedures. While body armor provides a significant level of protection, it is not a substitute for the observance of officer safety procedures. 1016.3 ISSUANCE OF BODY ARMOR The Personnel Sergeant shall ensure that body armor is issued to all Police Officers, Community Service Officers and Animal Service Officers when they begin service at the Fremont Police Department and that, when issued, the body armor meets or exceeds the standards of the National Institute of Justice Type IIIA classification. 1016.3.1 USE OF SOFT BODY ARMOR Generally, the use of body armor is required subject to the following: (a)Sworn employees, Community Service Officers and Animal Service Officers shall only wear body armor that meets or exceeds the standards of the National Institute of Justice Type IIIA classification. (b)Sworn employees, Community Service Officers and Animal Service Officers shall wear body armor anytime they are in a situation where they could reasonably be expected to take enforcement action or be engaged in pre-planned, high-risk situations such as warrant services and probation/parole searches. (c)Sworn employees, Community Service Officers and Animal Service Officers shall wear body armor when in uniform, except while on the Fremont Police campus. (d)Employees may be excused from wearing body armor when they are functioning primarily in an administrative or support capacity and could not reasonably be expected to take enforcement action. (e)A sworn employee may be excused from wearing body armor when he/she is involved in undercover or plainclothes work that could be compromised by wearing body armor, or when a supervisor determines that other circumstances make it inappropriate to mandate wearing body armor. (f)Plain-clothes officers associated to an operation or call for service, shall only take enforcement action while wearing body armor and identifiable police markings. If death or great bodily injury is imminent to the plain-clothes officer, another officer, or a community member, and donning body armor and identifiable police markings would cause significant delay to the plain-clothes officer's ability to intervene, then the plain- clothes officer may have discretion to take enforcement action without donning body armor and police markings. Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/06/03, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Fremont Police DepartmentBody Armor - 1 Fremont Police Department Body Armor (g)Plain-clothes officers operating in an undercover capacity (without body armor and without identifiable police markings) should not take enforcement action unless immediate action is required to prevent death or serious bodily injury to themselves, to another officer, or a community member, or at the direction of a supervisor. Plain- clothes personnel operating in an undercover capacity should remain at a reasonable distance from any enforcement operation in order to minimize confusion to uniformed personnel, other plain-clothes personnel, community members, and/or outside agency personnel. (h)Sworn personnel who are in uniform, without body armor, and operating strictly in an administrative capacity (such as lunch, visiting city offices, off-campus meetings, etc.) should continually evaluate if there is a need for them to intercede in an active incident or to contact dispatch and await uniformed, patrol personnel. Factors to consider include but are not limited to: immediate community safety, community expectations, seriousness of the crime, and threat of injury to involved parties. 1016.3.2 INSPECTIONS OF BODY ARMOR Supervisors should ensure that body armor is worn and maintained in accordance with this policy through routine observation and annual inspections. Supervisors will complete a uniform/ equipment inspection form for each employee to document the inspection. The forms will be maintained by the Training Unit. The Personnel Unit shall track body armor manufacture dates to identify replacement needs. 1016.3.3 CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF SOFT BODY ARMOR Soft body armor should never be stored for any period of time in an area where environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, light, humidity) are not reasonably controlled (e.g., normal ambient room temperature/humidity conditions), such as in automobiles or automobile trunks. Soft body armor should be cared for and cleaned pursuant to the manufacturer's care instructions provided with the soft body armor. The instructions can be found on labels located on the external surface of each ballistic panel. The carrier should also have a label that contains care instructions. Failure to follow these instructions may damage the ballistic performance capabilities of the armor. If care instructions for the soft body armor cannot be located, contact the manufacturer to request care instructions. Soft body armor should not be exposed to any cleaning agents or methods not specifically recommended by the manufacturer, as noted on the armor panel label. Soft body armor shall be replaced in accordance with the manufacturer's recommended replacement schedule. 1016.4 RANGEMASTER RESPONSIBILITIES The Range Master should: (a)Monitor technological advances in the body armor industry for any appropriate changes to Department approved body armor. Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/06/03, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Fremont Police DepartmentBody Armor - 2 Fremont Police Department Body Armor (b)Assess weapons and ammunition currently in use and the suitability of approved body armor to protect against those threats. (c)Provide training that educates officers about the safety benefits