What type of body armor do you have?
In the Valentines pic are you wearing body armor on your chest?
Yep. It's a LV1 Bullet Proof Vest (LV2 would allow trauma plates to be inserted, this one is straight kevlar) that is meant to be worn on the outside of a uniform for Police. I obtained it through a LEO friend of mine as a free gift when I got my commission and was sent to be the sole SERAC/SEO (meaning one SEO per shift) walking a patrol beat for a place called
Morning Glory Apartments in SATX.
He basically said: "Mike, I hear you're going to be working the MGA off on the East Side?" And I said: "Yeah why, can't be much worse than Union Parks, Union Pines or White Field"
he shook his head and said:
"Shit son are you kidding me? You better carry as many spare mags for the M1911 as you can, and make sure that Motorolla radio has a full charge for your Dispatch. Here's my personal cell number, and one for Rodriguez who'll be working 2 nights out of the week on the dog watch you'll be on. Outside of Rigsby Apartments, you're going to the Goddamned Wild West. Being it's you and your crazy ass, they'll probably not do much, but you can bet your ass they'll be trying to see what the can get away with. You don't have backup, and you'd better not get sick and be out of sorts. HERE!
{handed me the vest}. Wear it UNDER the uniform and not on the outside like it's meant to be. It'll be a tight fit but they'll just think you got a bigger gut than the slight one you have."
that was 2006. I held it down longer than any other Security Enforcement Officer spread across 3 different companies who had the contract. In 2008 it was condemned and by late 2008 it was destroyed. But that vest remains with me and I'm damn glad I never had to find out just what kind of pistol ammo it would have stopped. It sucked for the 5 times I DID have to get physical though with a few shit heads, as it limited my mobility factor.
Here's what it looked like with it UNDER a uniform, though
it was for a different company in '06.
Looking back on it all now, It was good I was pissed off about the DoD not allowing me into the military and WANTING to walk the point in high risk places, because as of 2010 I don't think I would do it now. I was pissed off, felt I had something to prove to myself (and I did) and did it all for $9.75 starting at that place and ending @ $10.50 an hour. Only me and two others were ever able to keep the bullshit under control... once we all were gone, it went back to shit and SAPD Tactical Response Unit (T.R.U.) ended up working that sector until it went under, but not directly for the property owner.
These days @ night I have it by my air mattress/sleeping bag I sleep in along with that very Shotgun, and just slip in on and get ready whenever shit around the condo seems amiss.
I knew they wouldn't be back.
