Police officer deaths and early retirements due to health reasons can be devastating for families, organizations, and communities. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists law enforcement in the top 10 most dangerous jobs in the United States.1 In the United States, alone, an astounding 20,789 police officers have died in the line of duty at the hands of others, in accidents, and from heart attacks and other work-related illnesses.2 In 2016, 161 U.S. police officers died in the line of duty; in 2015, 163 died in the line of duty.3 The bottom line is that law enforcement is the only profession where being assaulted and feloniously killed is an occupational hazard. This reality and its impact on an officer’s health can lead to premature retirement or, even, death.
There have been several studies regarding the life expectancy of police officers as compared to the general public; the results are not positive for police officers. A study of Buffalo, New York, police officers in 2013 showed the life expectancy of white male police officers is shorter by 21.9 years than the white male general population life expectancy in the United States.4 Can anything be done to change this? What if altering what officers wear for each shift is the answer? What if the uniform distinguishing them as members of law enforcement is also their first line of defense?
Clothing Technology Revolution
The police uniform has been in existence since the first police force in London was established in 1829 and has not changed much since.5 What if professionals from technology, apparel, and health care combined forces to create a suit to protect police officers? Imagine a “superhero” suit that could administer life-saving first aid such as compressing a bleeding wound, delivering medicine, and controlling temperature to prevent shock and improve comfort. Imagine a suit that could broadcast an “officer down” message to get help and communicate the officer’s location to dispatch or other officers.
Most people want to live healthier lives, and sensors are going to help them achieve this. For example, a company is working on wearable sensors that can detect how much pollution the wearer is inhaling. Data will allow the mapping of polluted locations, so that people can avoid them if desired.6 The popularity of Fitbits, Apple watches, and other health-tracking devices has demonstrated a large interest in people wanting to track their health and fitness.
According to a study in 2014, 71 percent of the people who use wearable technology with biometric sensors believe they are healthier because of them. In addition, 54 percent of U.S. users believe that wearable technology has improved their self-confidence.7 Studies are starting to show there is evidence to support this feeling. As wearable health monitors gain in popularity, the ways people can wear them are also evolving. The next leap in wearable tech is smart fabrics.
Smart fabric takes the tracking of one’s health and fitness to a higher and more personal level. Smart fabrics have several names such as electronic textiles, smart garments, smart clothing, and smart textiles. Essentially, they are fabrics with technology embedded into them that provides added value to the wearer.8 Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley (UC Berkeley) determined that biometric clothing can improve the health and safety of the wearers. This interest and advancements in wearable technology has created a market niche that might be filled by smart apparel.
According to the researchers at UC Berkeley, it is predicted the global market size for smart clothing will be $2.2 trillion in 2019 compared to $520 billion for smartphones.9 According to the International Data Corporation’s Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker report, it is predicted that smart clothing will soon lead the wearable technology market, and it will grow by 76.1 percent by 2021.10 North America already leads the world in global smart fabric due to its large technology sector.11 Could this boom in the smart apparel sector lead to the making of a superhero suit that could save police officers’ lives?
Technology for Biometric Uniforms
With the advancements of using technology in clothing, tech companies are able to create items that seem straight from the world of superhero movies and comic books. These technologies are able to track and record the biometrics and vitals of the wearer, and the field of wearable technology has made significant advancements. Some researchers working on wearable electronics have reached a significant milestone: They are now able to embroider circuits into fabric with 0.1 mm precision—the perfect size to integrate electronic components such as sensors and computer memory devices into clothing.12
Jesse Jur, a textile researcher at North Carolina State University in Raleigh whose lab has already created iron-on electronics for garments, says,
Clothing is by far the most interesting way to get information from the human body… Sure, we already have patches and wristbands. But what is different about a garment is you have access to a much larger surface area against your skin. In addition, you can make your electronics invisible.13
The team and North Carolina State University created a tight shirt that monitored the wearer’s heart performance and sent the data wirelessly to a smartphone. Monitoring stress levels and efficiencies for police officers or soldiers could be really useful. Jur addressed public safety specifically, noting that, “Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death for fire fighters. And monitoring stress levels and efficiencies for police officers or soldiers could be really useful.” Those applications could be an interesting stepping stone to broader applications for everyone, he said.14 Once an issue is identified in an overly stressed officer, an alert would be sent to a contracted health professional to evaluate and, if necessary, refer the officer to a doctor.
Other researchers reported smart textiles are even able to transport the data wirelessly to others who can monitor or respond from remote locations. This technological breakthrough clears a path for a host of new safety developments for law enforcement officers.15 In addition, researchers have developed a lightweight, portable nano-fiber that could one day be used to dress wounds on a battlefield. This fiber might be able to be used to create sterile bandages that could be applied directly to a wound, an advancement that would have obvious benefits for police officers injured on the job.16 By enabling proactive personal health management and continuous monitoring of health conditions, health care professionals can predetermine needed care for their patients.17
The development of biometric smart suits could also positively impact officer safety. The use of smart apparel that has GPS, bullet wound detection, blood pressure measuring, and other sensors could help to save an officer’s life. Monitoring by dispatch or other health professionals could keep officers safer in the field.18 In addition, there could also be some comfort benefits. For example, researchers in Finland are currently working on the development of smart fabric that can be used for heating or air conditioning the body. The fabric can also be used to dispense small fluids like perfumes or medicines.19
Some companies see the financial potential of combining fitness and smart fabrics and are ahead of the curve. The Levi Company and Google team up on Project Jacquard to incorporate smart fabrics into clothes, with their first product being a jean jacket for cyclists. The new thread and sensors can monitor biometrics and respond to touch creating interactive surfaces on the clothing.20 In addition, Montreal-based OMsignal, unveiled its biometric shirts for men in November 2017, with plans for a women’s clothing line in the works. These compression shirts come with a small black box that snaps onto the shirt to relay information such as heart and respiratory rates to a smartphone.21
Smart Suit Challenges
Some significant challenges for a superhero suit to overcome—if it’s to be accepted by police and the public—are privacy and financial concerns. Police officers will be concerned about the privacy of the data, the safety of the smart suit, and the reliability of the results. During a recent panel discussion on this topic at the Walnut Creek, California, Police Department, Detective William Jeha asked, “How will you keep the data private? What if someone hacks into the suit and is able to get my personal health data? What if they then used it criminally?”22 In addition, he added that others may consider the collection of data as an invasion of privacy and question who really owns the data and can lawfully share the data. For example, wearable technology data became a huge privacy issue between Nike and Michigan football players. Nike was able to gather numerous amounts of data on individual players, and there are currently no laws protecting the players. This issue and related ones are likely to land on court dockets in the near future.23
Nine-year veteran Walnut Creek Police Officer Thomas Brown said, “I think it would be beneficial, and I would wear one if it was comfortable, lightweight, and breathable and didn’t restrict my movement.”24 In another interview, Walnut Creek Police Sergeant Andrew Brown said he would be concerned with the privacy of the data and whether an organization would use it to restrict an officer’s promotional opportunity or, worse yet, move to terminate an officer whose health is considered subpar based on the information from the smart suits. He also believed his officers would be even more suspicious of “big brother” watching them. However, Sgt. Brown said personally he would wear one if his privacy concerns are addressed.25
There is little evidence in the research, though, that police departments, health professionals, or smart fabric companies are close to developing a biometric smart fabric suit for police officers. Law enforcement tends to be behind the curve in research and development, as many law enforcement agencies do not have a research and development budget to help create new technologies like a life-saving suit. If the idea is pushed, however, there is a possibility that a superhero suit could be developed in coming years.
There is also some hope in the financial arena. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has set up a $750,000 grant program for companies to develop smart apparel for law enforcement.26 In addition, the U.S. Department of Defense partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and 89 other universities, manufacturers, and nonprofits to start a nonprofit research and development consortium, called the Advanced Functional Fabrics of America Alliance, with $317 million dollars in funding. The consortium brings together nontraditional partners to integrate fibers and yarns with integrated circuits, LEDs, and solar cells, for example. This would create functioning fabrics that could hear, see, sense, communicate, store energy, regulate temperature, monitor health, and change color.27
Some next steps to make a superhero suit a reality can be to encourage departments to take a look at these life-saving technologies, provide local grants, and partner with the retirement systems to share costs. The cost of a supersuit development would relieve the financial blows of early retirement, mitigate the costs of recruitment and training, and reduce officer injuries and fatalities.
Next, it is necessary to address the data and privacy concerns. Police managers will have to tackle the security of the data, get the buy-in of the officers, and determine who will have access to the data and how the data will be used. Walnut Creek Police Department Captain William J. Hill suggests that police departments could put technology securities, policies, and procedures in place that would help to protect the officers’ data from being hacked or being used in a negative way. He also said police organizations would need to have a very robust campaign to demonstrate the benefits of these smart suits to officers.28
Conclusion
Research indicates that it might be possible to do a better job of preparing, maintaining, and improving officers’ short-term and long-term health with the use of technology. For example, a smart suit alone could identify an early health issue that could possibly be corrected before it’s too late. However, the research also shows that, while related technology is in the works, it has a long way to go before such smart suits are realistic and affordable for law enforcement. Law enforcement agencies will need to invest in these smart systems to continue the trend in development and in order to keep their officers healthier throughout their entire careers. Police departments should actively work with smart fabric clothing companies, health providers, and other developers to be on the forefront of this new technology. If law enforcement collaborates on the development of this smart suit technology, law enforcement can provide large groups to test the technology and have a say in its development. Collaboration will allow law enforcement agencies to steer the companies into developing lifesaving uniforms at a quicker pace and, in essence, potentially save more lives sooner. Improved funding for research and development in smart suits and other wearable health technology can improve officers’ health and career longevity.
Some small first steps could be partnerships between law enforcement agencies’ wellness programs, health care providers and hospitals in an effort to start a pilot program where officers receive a wearable technology. This would allow for monitoring, educating, and accepting such a program. It could also enhance police departments officer wellness programs.
With wearable technologies such as a smart suit, perhaps the all-too-familiar sounds of bagpipes and 21-gun salutes can be silenced a little longer for these modern-day superheroes. ♦
This article is based on research conducted as a part of the CA POST Command College. It is a futures study of a particular emerging issue of relevance to law enforcement. Its purpose is not to predict the future; rather, to project a variety of possible scenarios useful for planning & action in anticipation of the emerging landscape facing policing organizations.
This journal article was created using the futures forecasting process of Command College and its outcomes. Managing the future means influencing it—creating, constraining and adapting to emerging trends and events in a way that optimizes the opportunities and minimizes the threats of relevance to the profession.
The views and conclusions expressed in the Command College Futures Project and journal article are those of the author, and are not necessarily those of the CA Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST).
© Copyright 2018, California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training
Notes:
1 Timothy Roufa, “Learn About the Dangers of a Law Enforcement Career,” updated October 8, 2017.
2 Lisa Desjardins, “The History of U.S. Police Officers in the Line of Duty,” PBS News Hour, July 8. 2016.
3 “Honoring Officers Killed in 2015,” Officer Down Memorial Page.
4 John M. Violanti et al., “Life Expectancy in Police Officers: A Comparison with the U.S. General Population,” International Journal of Emergency Mental Health 15, no. 4 (2013): 217–228.
5 Richard R. Johnson, “The Psychological Influence of the Police Uniform,” PoliceOne, updated August 11, 2017.
6 Sarah Laskow, “Wearable Sensors Will Measure How Much Air Pollution City Cyclists Inhale,” Next City, April 21, 2015.
7 Nivedit Majumdar, “Understanding the Social Impact of Wearables,” Embrify (blog), December 20, 2014.
8 Rebecca Gaddis, “What Is the Future of Fabric? These Smart Textiles Will Blow Your Mind,” Forbes, May 7, 2014.
9 Alex Hanuska et al., Smart Clothing Market Analysis (Pantas and Ting Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology).
10 Paul Lamkin, “Wearable Tech Market to Double by 2021,” Forbes, June 22, 2017.
11 Shrikant Ghuge, “Smart Fabrics Market to Witness Steady Growth During the Forecast Period 2016 to 2026,” PR-Inside, August 21, 2017.
12 Ohio State University, “Computers in Your Clothes? A Milestone for Wearable Electronics: Clothes That Receive and Transmit Digital Information Are Closer to Reality,” ScienceDaily, April 13, 2016.
13 Katherine Gammon, “Health-Sensing Clothes May Save Lives of Infants, First Responders,” MACH, June 6, 2017.
14 Gammon, “Health Sensing Clothes May Save Lives of Infants, First Responders.”
15 Université Laval, “Clothes That Can Monitor, Transmit Biomedical Info Developed,” ScienceDaily, December 3, 2014.
16 Leah Burrows for Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, “Portable Nanofiber Device Offers Precise, Point-and-Shoot Capability: Fabricating 3-D Tissue, Smart Fabrics,” ScienceDaily, March 1, 2017.
17 “Save Lives! Integrate Wearable Health Monitors into Automobiles,” Mouser Electronics.
18 Sandra Jontz, “Wearables Find Easy Fit with Police, Troops,” Signal, September 1, 2016.
19 Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT), “Smart Fabric Provides ‘Air Conditioning’ for the Wearer, Adjustable with a Mobile App,” ScienceDaily, November 5, 2015.
20 Rachel Arthur, “Project Jacquard: Google and Levi’s Launch the First ‘Smart’ Jean Jacket for Urban Cyclists,” Forbes, May 20, 2016.
21 Melanie Basich, “RoboCop: Wearable Tech,” Police Magazine, April 28, 2015.
22 William Jeha (detective, Walnut Creek Police Department), panel discussion, December 13, 2017.
23 Marc Tracy, “With Wearable Tech Deals, New Player Data Is Up for Grabs,” New York Times, September 9, 2016.
24 Thomas Brown (officer, Walnut Creek Police Department), personal communication, May 4, 2018.
25 Andrew Brown (sergeant, Walnut Creek Police Department), personal communication, May 4, 2018.
26 Basich, “RoboCop.”
27 Robert K. Akerman, “Defense Looks to Spawn a New Fiber Age,” Signal, April 1, 2016.
28 William J. Hill (Captain, Walnut Creek Police Department), personal communication, May 4, 2018.
Please cite as
Thomas B. Cashion, “Life-Saving Suits for Law Enforcement: Looking Ahead at Wearable Technology,” Police Chief Online, June 27, 2018.
