Police equipment and technology

Police Operational Requirements, which are produced for all personal protective equipment has determined that the protection provided by ballisitic and stab-resisitant body armour (most armour now offers dual protection) must be sufficient to prevent the wearer from sustaining serious or permanent injury.

The decision on what body armour is purchased for police officers is made by individual police forces after carrying out a risk assessment.  This covers issues like the range of duties their officers are likely to carry out and the threats posed in different situations.   Different levels of protection may be required depending on the local threat and the tactics employed.

HOSDB sets performance levels for body armour.  These are applied using a common test method which requires manufacturers to submit their armour to one of our approved test houses for full compliance testing to the appropriate threat level(s).  If the armour passes all the required tests, the armour and the results are sent to HOSDB for final evaluation for quality and consistency.  Once we are satisfied that all is in order, we issue the compliance documentation to the manufacturer. 

The current test standards were produced in 2003.  They consist of five levels of ballisitic protection -  two 'typical' handgun levels HG1/A and HG1, a high handgun/carbine level HG2 which is suitable for Firearms Officers, a shotgun level SG1 and a rifle level RF1.  In addition we provide three stab-resistant levels - KR1, KR2 and KR3.

Type approval documentation is issued by Road Crime Section of the Home Office.  Details of type-approved devices are on the Home Office website http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-and-publications/publication/operational-policing/speed_detection.pdf .  This is currently being updated, but the approved devices being added are:

• Speedmeters: LaserCam NT Digital Camera System; Prolaser III; Speed Laser SL 700; Autovelox 104/C-2; SpeedCurb.
• Red Light Cameras: RedGuard.
• Combined Speed and Red Light Cameras: RedSpeed.

The process for manufacturers for obtaining type approval is set out in our publication no. 15/05 The Speedmeter Handbook - 4th Edition Provisional.

The test houses listed below in the UK and across Europe are approved for carrying out type approval tests to our specifications.  No test house in the UK has NAMAS approval for testing against BS EN 60825-1: 2001, but providing the test house accepts responsibility, we are willing to accept tests from Lasermet if submitted through the test house. The test houses in Europe have been able to get the tests done.
 
UK Test houses
Hunting Communication Technology Ltd.
RSRE
Pershore
Worcestershire
WR10 2RW               
Tel: +44 (0)1386 555522
 
Intertek Testing & Certification Ltd
ETL SEMKO division
Intertek House
Cleeve Road
Leatherhead
Surrey
KT22 7SB                  
Tel: +44 (0)1372 370900                    
Fax: +44 (0)1372 370999
 
TUV Product Service
Octagon House
Concorde Way
Fareham
Hampshire
PO15 5 Rl                  
Tel: +44 (0)1489 558100
 
TRL EMC Ltd
Long Green
Forthampton
Gloucester
GL19 4QH                  
Tel: +44 (0)1684 833818                  
Fax: +44 (0)1684 833858
 
Leyland Technical Centre Ltd
Aston Way
Leyland
Preston
PR5 3TZ                     
Tel: +44 (0)1772 422911                  
Fax: +44 (0)1772 621466
 
EMC Projects Ltd
Holly Grove Farm
Verwood Road
Ashley
Ringwood
Hants   BH24 2DB      
Tel: +44 (0)1425 479979                  
Fax: +44 (0)1425 480637
 
EMC Business Group Manager
Electromagnetic (EMC) Group
Spectrum Solutions Department
Bldg A5, Room 1005
QinetiQ
Cody Technology Park
Ively Road
Farnborough
Hants GU14 0LX                   
Tel: +44 (0)1252 392612                  
Fax: +44 (0)1252 397058
 
European test houses
NMI Certin B V(Nederlands Meetinstituut)
Hugo de Grootplein 1
Postbus 394
3300 AJ Dordrecht
Netherlands
Tel: 31 78 6332332     
Fax: 31 78 6332309
 
Mr Michels                  
PTB                                        
Bundesallee 100         
38116 Braunschweig 
Germany                                
Tel: 00 49 531 592 16 30
Fax: 00 49 531 592 13 05
 
Swedish National Testing Institute
Electronics, Traffic Equipment
Brinellgatan 4
Box 857
S - 501 15 Borås
Sweden                                  
Tel: 00 46 33165579                           
Fax: 00 46 33125038