Contractor botched court officers’ bulletproof vests, new lawsuit alleges
Bulletproof vests that were ordered for New York State court officers were faulty, and the manufacturer’s failure to remedy the problem places the lives of many court officers at risk, a new lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court alleges.
The New York State Court Officers Association (NYSCOA) ordered 148 bulletproof vests for members whose previous vests were outdated and those who decided it was time to “wisely wear them” from North Carolina-based company KDH Defense Systems (KDH). KDH personnel measured NYSCOA members and shortly thereafter delivered the vests. The current lawsuit asserts that the delivered vests “did not fit the officers properly.”
The vests presented a further issue: The grommets — rings used to reinforce the cloth openings where the officers’ shields are displayed — were too small, making it impossible for the officers to wear their “mandated identification badge[s].”