US Embassy gives police over $23m in protective gear

Equipment consists of 30,500 bulletproof vests, more than 27,000 ballistic helmets

ISLAMABAD: The US Embassy has provided the Pakistan police with state-of-the-art lightweight protective gear worth more than $23 million between June-September 2017 to protect the latter in their fight against terrorism and crime.

The latest equipment, which consists of 30,500 bulletproof vests and more than 27,000 ballistic helmets, has been provided by the embassy’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) Section to nine police organisations, said a statement issued on Monday.



The police agencies include all four provincial police departments; Frontier Corps in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa; Levies in Federally Administered Tribal Areas; the National Highways and Motorway Police; and the National Police Academy.

This step brings the total number of protective gear assistance since 2009 to more than 53,000 bulletproof vests and almost 47,000 ballistic helmets.

INL Director Gregory Schiffer said, “The Pakistani police make sacrifices every day to carry out their duties and to keep their communities safe. Both in the United States and Pakistan, we depend on our police to protect our people, and we will continue to stand together with the people of Pakistan in the fight against terrorism and the commitment to stability and justice in Pakistan.”

Bulletproof vests and helmets are critical in improving police operational capacity and saving officers’ lives as they respond to threats from heavily armed groups, including terrorists, militants, and narco-traffickers.



Across Pakistan, police officers are often targeted by criminal and terrorist groups.

According to the National Police Bureau, more than 6,000 police have been killed in the line of duty in Pakistan in the last 15 years.

The INL works in more than 90 countries to help combat crime and corruption; counter narcotics trade; improve police institutions; and promote court systems that are fair and accountable.