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Trust in body armor takes a hit

Law enforcement agencies are replacing bullet-proof vests that may not hold up in hot, humid conditions.

By ALEX LEARY
Published August 3, 2005

ST. PETERSBURG - Each time Sgt. Phil Quandt straps on his bullet-proof vest, his anxiety rises.

He's not particularly afraid he'll be shot at - that's a constant threat in police work.

The 20-year veteran of the St. Petersburg Police Department is worried his armor won't work if he does take a hit.

Since a California police officer wearing a similar vest was fatally shot in 2003, body armor has been among law enforcement's most pressing issues. The controversy grew this summer when a manufacturer urgently called for police departments to replace vests containing a synthetic fiber called Zylon.

Now the matter has surfaced in St. Petersburg, where officials said Tuesday that 80 vests bought from Second Chance Body Armor Inc. will be replaced. The switch will cost the department $42,000.

Another eight officers, including Quandt, got Zylon vests from Point Blank Body Armor, which says it will replace the armor at no cost.

"You kind of go, "Wow, that's scary,"' said Quandt, who has worn his vest for the past year. "It's like having a parachute and after you land being told it may not have worked. It's created a lot of insecurity around here."

The feeling extends to the Clearwater Police Department, which is replacing 133 vests, and the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office and Tampa Police Department, both of which have a handful of vests containing Zylon.

The sheriff's offices in Hillsborough and Pasco counties don't use Zylon vests, officials said.

The synthetic material does not hold up in hot, humid conditions, some experts say, putting its bullet-stopping qualities in question.

"We don't feel any officers in Clearwater are in any imminent danger," police spokesman Wayne Shelor said. "But this is a life-and-death matter to police. It's not one you bargain with."

Shelor said the department acted "out of an abundance of caution" even after one of the vests, made by Second Chance, was sent to an independent lab and withstood shots from 9mm and .357 magnum weapons.

Clearwater police budgeted about $50,000 and expect new vests in a month and a half. Until then, officers will wear their current armor.

St. Petersburg officers will do the same. About half there are still waiting for replacements, according to the department.

While various companies use Zylon, Second Chance Body Armor has been at the forefront of the controversy. It faces lawsuits from states, police agencies and individuals, including the family of the officer in Oceanside, Calif., who was killed in 2003 while wearing one of the vests. This summer the Department of Justice joined in the mix, asserting Second Chance and the maker of Zylon knowingly sold defective goods.

Second Chance first said it had improved the vests. But in June, the company urged departments replace the equipment. It said tests found the material degraded faster than the five-year warranty provided, especially in heat and humidity.

"Due to a potential for serious personal injury or death, Second Chance recommends you take immediate steps to replace your Ultima or Ultimax Vest," a company statement urged. Clearwater officers used a third model, Triflex, but it also contains Zylon.

The fiber is made by a Japanese company, Toyobo, which promoted it as a lighter and more durable alternative to Kevlar. Police officers eagerly switched over. The Fraternal Order of Police estimates that 200,000 of the nation's 700,000 officers at one time wore a Second Chance vest or something similar.

Toyobo insists Zylon is safe and effective and has placed blame on Second Chance's design. But Second Chance said the problem extends to any manufacturer using the synthetic fiber. "Zylon is a problem and it isn't just a Second Chance problem, but an industry problem," a company spokeswoman told the Ledger of Lakeland last month.

The statement came as officials announced a $29-million settlement in a class action lawsuit filed against Second Chance and Toyobo. Agencies that joined the action have the option of cash payments or new vests from Armor Holdings Inc., which on Friday bought Second Chance for $45-million, rescuing it from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The purchase, however, does not include Zylon products or liability for outstanding claims related to the suspect vests.

That could pose problems for St. Petersburg and other departments that may have considered legal action.

"We're monitoring if there's any money we can get," said Sherman Smith, the department's legal adviser, referring to the bankruptcy. "We're also looking at federal grants for this replacement."

Shelor, the Clearwater police spokesman, said the department could also seek reimbursement. But the immediate goal, he said, is to resolve any concern. "If there are questions about the safety and veracity of the vest, we'll replace it," he said.

- Alex Leary can be reached at 893-8472 or leary@sptimes.com

[Last modified August 3, 2005, 00:35:13]