December 22, 2014
MONROE COUNTY, NY – Assemblyman Bill Nojay is against the proposed legislation for bulletproof windows on police vehicles, not because he doesn’t care, but because Nojay says that just having bulletproof windows is not going far enough. Nojay issued the following statement this morning:
The idea of installing bulletproof glass windows on police cars sounds attractive in the aftermath of the execution-style killing of two NYPD officers. Unfortunately like a lot of things in public life, it’s not that simple. “Up-armoring” a vehicle involves not only the glass, but also the body panels and seams. The cost begins at roughly $15,000 for the most basic upgrades, and can run to over $40,000 per vehicle for advanced features. The upgrades also add over 1200 pounds to vehicle weight, making it more difficult to maneuver, which may lead to more accidents. Finally, up-armoring does nothing to protect the officers once they leave their vehicles, obviously, so a determined attacker can simply change tactics. It would be a mistake to up-armor vehicles only to find officers are more vulnerable to attacks or accidents.
In the aftermath of the NYPD shootings, police agencies need to assess what can be done to protect officers, and government officials need to support those efforts with funding and other support. This is the time for those studies and proposals, not to act with haste on what may be counterproductive actions made in haste.
