NRW is equipping police officers with 10,000 new bulletproof vests. The vests have a particularly high level of protection and can also withstand rapid-fire weapon fire. The state is providing over ten million euros for this purpose.

Germany, and therefore NRW too, has long been in the crosshairs of international terrorism. Attacks can occur anywhere and at any time in Germany. The NRW police are responding to the changed threat situation by procuring the new protective vests.

The previous protective vests, which are as heavy as sacks of cement, become a security risk in extremely dangerous situations such as terrorist attacks or rampages. The new vests offer the greatest possible protection at a low weight of less than eight kilograms and maximum freedom of movement. The plate carriers are made of abrasion-resistant polyamide. The ballistic protective plates are made of high-density polyethylene.

The State Office for Central Police Services NRW (LZPD) investigated the market for protective vests immediately after the Paris attacks in November 2015. A high-end product that saves lives under the most extreme conditions is not something you can just buy in the supermarket.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, every police officer is already equipped with an underarm protective vest that protects against gunfire and attacks with stabbing weapons. These vests will continue to be worn.