South Florida police departments are gearing up with new high-tech and customized equipment after a former lawmaker’s trip overseas.
Bags of equipment carrying life-saving gear, for men and women who are on the front line, were received as former Miami-Dade commissioner Sally Heyman returns from Israel. She was joined by public safety and corrections officials and the Deputy Consul General Mike Driquez of Israel to discuss and demonstrate how this “Protective Enhancement Gear” works.
“This gear is lightweight, it’s very flexible. It protects the officers from punctures and stabbing,” said Miami-Dade Police Department Assistant Director Christopher Carothers.
The county spent roughly $69,000 on 102 sets of custom-made gear that will be used for riots and SWAT teams to help protect officers and even corrections deputies in jails.
“We are the first in then nation to get this import from Israel,” stated Heyman. “As a commissioner, I participated in two trips to Israel targeting Israeli innovations.”
The innovative protective equipment coming from a former commissioners trip to Israel to see what they could learn and bring back to the U.S.
“This day is really one of the most innovative countries in the world,” said Driquez. “I came from tech before. It comes from a place of which we can cherish a very good relationship between the states, especially since October 7.”
Ramon Hernandez with Miami-Dade’s Rapid Deployment Force explained how this is different from what he’s used to.
“What we usually have is just our vest, we have a helmet, we have a shield and we have our gun belts” he said. “This is a little more light weight, of course.”
“It also has capabilities of energy dispersions. That means if our officers were to receive any blood-force trauma while wearing the suit, it provides better protection to vital organs and different parts of the body,” said one officer.
Out of the 100 sets of gear the county received, 80 of them will go to the Miami-Dade Police Department while the others will be distributed to agencies like the City of Miami and Coral Gables police departments.
This new equipment will benefit the safety of the public and law enforcement when officers respond to calls.
Read MoreWSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale
