TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Tampa police say Officer Jose Rodriguez’s protective gear may have saved his life. Rodriguez was shot after he and his partner found two suspects in a hotel parking lot and gunfire was exchanged. Officer Rodriguez is recovering.
Read more about the shooting here.
Many local law enforcement agencies, including the Tampa Police Department, do not require – but recommend – this protective gear, body armor. News Channel 8 checked with local sheriffs’ offices and police departments to see whether body armor is required.
It’s important to note that policies vary even when armor is required. For instance, the Tampa Police Department does not require most officers wear armor but does mandate it for new officers during a one-year probationary period. At the same time, some agencies require armor for uniformed deputies or road patrol deputies, but not for detectives or detention deputies.
Agencies that require body armor:
Highlands County
Polk County
Lakeland Police Department
Pasco County
Sarasota Police Department
North Port Police department
Bradenton Police Department
Clearwater Police Department
Hernando County Sheriff’s Office
Agencies that do not require body armor:
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
Tampa Police Department (except during an officer’s one-year probationary period)
Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office
Manatee County Sheriff’s Office
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
St. Petersburg Police Department
Many of the agencies that do not require armor strongly encourage deputies and officers wear it.