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Article: On the cutting edge: law enforcement technology.
- Article from:
- The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin
- Article date:
- July 1, 1995
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1995 Federal Bureau of Investigation. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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In 1972, a researcher from the U.S. Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice (NIJ) stumbled upon heavy-duty military tires made from a fiber that could stop bullets. This material, perhaps best known by its trademark Kevlar, weaved its way into the soft body armor worn by law enforcement personnel. Since 1975, when NIJ first conducted field tests in 15 cities across the country, bulletproof vests have saved the lives of thousands of police officers.
Today, discoveries like this do not happen by accident. Rather, an agreement between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Defense (DOD) ensures that the high-tech wizardry once employed solely ...