The Alpharetta City Council has approved spending $62,397 to buy 17 sets of tactical body armor for its Special Weapons and Tactics team members.
The purchase of the armor from TYR Tactical was approved at Monday’ Council meeting.
Alpharetta Department of Public Safety officers are part of a joint SWAT team with Roswell and Milton. The three cities cooperated in an evaluation of tactical armor and recommended the armor set manufactured and sold by TYR, according to an Alpharetta staff report. All three cities are expected to acquire the same body armor for their officers.
“SWAT operators require body armor that provides more protection than normal, concealable armor,” the report says. “The ‘soft’ armor worn by all uniformed offices provides torso protection from most handgun bullets but not from rifle fire. Tactical armor covers more surface area and resists most rifle rounds.”
The armor comes with a five-year warranty, and the team’s current tactical armor is approaching its expiration date, the report says.
About the Author
