New Body Armor Hits St. Pete Streets

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Thanks in part to a donation from slain police Officer Jeffrey Yaslowitz’s widow, cops in St. Petersburg now have a new defensive tool to use in the war on crime. The agency rolled out its new custom body armor on Tuesday.

Lorraine Yaslowitz-Marino donated 40 sets of the “stronger-but-lighter plates to the department’s SWAT team,” the police department reported. That donation was prompted by the highly publicized 2016 shooting in Dallas, Texas, that left five officers dead and several wounded, the agency added. After hearing about the benefits of the upgraded armor, the St. Petersburg City Council decided to outfit every patrol officer.

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The new vests are “custom made to carry new lightweight rifle plates, body armor and attachments for gear that would normally be carried on the gun belt,” the agency wrote on Facebook. The St. Petersburg force is one of the first in the country to use this style of outer vest.

The new vests cost $277.74 each versus the old vests, which cost $59.80 a pop, the city reported. While technically cheaper, the old vests have a recommended replacement cycle of four months versus the two-year lifespan of the new vests. The estimated two-year cost for the old vests is $358.80 per officer, which means the city saves money over the long run, the agency noted.

The benefits don't stop at saving the city money, the police department said.

“The new carrier offers more protection, while redistributing the weight of the gear the officer normally carries on the belt,” the agency wrote. “This weight re-distribution is more comfortable for officers and will help prevent many of the back, hip, and knee health issues that go with carrying all the equipment on the waist.”

Officers Jeffrey Yaslowitz and Thomas Baitinger were killed in the line of duty on Jan. 24, 2011, while trying to question Christine Lacy about the whereabouts of her estranged husband Hydra Lacy Jr.

Hydra Lacy Jr. shot and killed the two officers after hiding in the attic of Christine Lacy’s south St. Petersburg home. His body was pulled from the rubble of the home hours later, after it was bulldozed to gain access to the assailant. An autopsy report showed that Lacy had been shot 10 times.

Three reports, released following the shooting, cleared police and a deputy U.S. marshal of any wrongdoing in the death of Lacy, a 39-year-old convicted felon with an extensive criminal record.

There was an outstanding warrant for Lacy's arrest.

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Photos courtesy of the St. Petersburg Police Department