Why are police officers around the country outfitted in high tech riot gear while nurses and doctors have to scramble for basic personal protective equipment? Back in April when New York City was first hit hard by the Covid-19 Pandemic some nurses and doctors had to improvise, using hefty garbage bags since Personal Protective equipment was in such short supply. Now, with police hitting the streets with pepper spray and rubber bullets to disperse protestors we can see that they are very well supplied with PPE.
I decided to host a fashion show with a nurse and an officer in riot gear. I am not great at knowing the costs of fashion items but I will try and research what each is wearing and how much it costs. I will limit myself to the items visible in my illustration.
The Nurse.
It should be noted that PPE costs increased 1000% during the Covid-19 pandemic. While nurses ran out of PPE, and had to re-use face masks, the President accused them of stealing their own supplies..
A basic Face Shield. She is sporting a fairly basic face shield. In May, Amazon began to mass produce face shields at coast for nurses and doctors. Prices are between $12 and $35.
Pro-Safe Skull Cap $4.06
This nurse is not wearing an N-95 Surgical Mask. The Face Mask she is wearing is not designed to form a seal around the nose and mouth. A pack of 50 about 29.00 or $.59 cents each. Face masks can not be shared and should not be re-used.
Disposable Scrubs Top $4.99.
Disposable Scrubs Pants $4.99.
Disposable Vinyl Gloves $16.99 for 100 pairs or $.16 cents per pair.
She should be wearing Waterproof Boots (e.g. rubber or gum boots) $36.45. I have also seen photos of nurses putting hefty bags over their street shoes and duck taping them in place. $9.99 for 40 bags. or $.49 for a pair. Duck tape is $4.99 for a roll which can go a long way.
Outer Protective Gown is a Hefty Bag with a hefty plastic tie for a belt. $.24 cents.
Any street clothing will not be counted. The total for the ensemble is about $27.52. Her wings are free. She has earned them.
The nurses had resorted to trash bags after the death of assistant nursing manager Kious Kelly, 48, who died of COVID-19 on March 24, 2020. Colleagues have blamed his death on the forced reusing of protective equipment.
Around April Fools Day, Nurses battling the Covid-19 pandemic at Mount Sinai West in New York City finally got more protective gear after The New York Post revealed a shortage so dire that some staffers resorted to wearing trash bags. Should we ant to thank essential workers, we should make sure they are included in city budgets.
Riot Gear Police.
Helmet Lancer Tactical Large – X-Large Industrial ABS Plastic Constructed Maritime Adjustable Crown with 20mm Side Rail Adapter Velcro Padding NVG Shroud Bungee Retention. $65.
Gas Mask is similar to the Evolution 5000 $229.50.
The Upper Body Protector Vest is about $71.42.
The department supplys ammunition. Collapsible batons, chemical spray, handcuffs — both metal and the plastic variety used in riot-type situations — and a leather utility belt to hold these items are other must-haves.
Minnesota officers receive an annual equipment allowance of $980 — rookie cops get three years, or $2,940, up front to start building their wardrobes. Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges has pledged another $1.1 million for a department wide rollout of body cameras. LAPD officers are outfitted in riot gear that costs tax payers at least $470 per officer, not counting weapons.
I can’t identify the exact less lethal weapon this officer is holding but it is probably just short of $1000. Should anyone be able to identify it with a price, please let me know. The Sting Ball Grenade on his vest is $52.50. Who knows how much more ammo and grenades are in the bag he is holding.
The Body Cam on his vest is about $155.98.
This officer may have on a very nice Paul Newman Rolex Daytona watch.
So an exact pricing estimate seems difficult, but it is fair to say that there is a big difference between the $27.62 Nurse ensemble and the several thousand dollar plus riot police ensemble. By one estimate one officers riot gear could pay for the PPE for 33 nurses.
This leads to the idea of defunding the police to create balance in the community. Rather than investing billions in a culture of violence, we could invest some of that money in services that have a positive impact on the community like youth programs, counseling and affordable housing. The nation wide peaceful protests are helping inspire change.