By Ewen McRae
Melton police will be among the first in the state to receive new ballistic vests as part of a statewide rollout.
The updated vests will help improve personal safety, comfort and mobility of police, while delivering a higher standard of ballistic and spike protection, and are part of a $41 million upgrade to police equipment by the state government.
The vests are also lightweight, less bulky and have enhanced adjustability and thermal management to adapt to both warm and cold temperatures. Different configurations also allow the vests to be worn in both overt and covert scenarios.
All uniform officers will be equipped with the new vests, along with Protective Services Officers, Police Custody Officers, Highway Patrol members, Crime Scene Services, investigators and the Mounted Branch.
Police minister Lisa Neville said the new vests would help officers better serve the community.
“This is about providing a safer working environment for our dedicated police officers, while giving them better access to state-of-the-art crime fighting equipment,” Ms Neville said.
“We’ve already seen that the new vests support increased movement, improved access to equipment and are more comfortable to wear in a vehicle.”
“The new vests will also support the ongoing rollout of body-worn cameras, with almost 4,500 cameras already deployed to officers.”
