Miami-Dade police get new protective gear

MIAMI – Miami-Dade officials unveiled new gear designed to better protect police and corrections officers responding to volatile situations Friday.

The new “Protective Enhancement Gear”—or PEG for short—is currently used by Israeli police and designed to protect officers while allowing for more flexibility.

“This suit has the ability to be worn with body armor underneath, and/or insert a rifle plate, which is even more enhanced protection,” Chief Rosanna Cordero-Stutz, with the Miami-Dade Police Department’s North Operations Division, said. “That can all be added in addition to a helmet.”

The new gear is also fire-resistant and helps protect officers against blunt-force trauma.

“What it does it it distributes the blunt force trauma so the person is not being impacted in one spot,” Cordero-Stutz said.

The county only has one demonstration suit available to use at the moment, but it hopes to order up to 100 suits. County officials are currently negotiating pricing.

In addition to Miami-Dade police, police in Coral Gables, North Miami and Miami Beach hope to use the gear.