After a year of civil unrest, the US is running low on body armor, gas masks
WASHINGTON — Just days before a new president enters the White House, promising to unify a dangerously divided country, the state of the union can perhaps be judged by this metric: America is facing a shortage of bulletproof vests, gas masks and ballistic helmets.
Some retailers of protective equipment have seen a five-fold increase in sales of military-grade defensive gear, leading to empty shelves and waiting lists. A retailer in Oregon has sold out of decontamination wipes designed to remove chemical agents, such a pepper spray. Customers cleaned out thousands of pieces of body armor from a store in Texas as soon as they went on sale.
Beginning with the arrival of COVID-19 in the United States and continuing through months of protests against racism and police violence, demand for protective equipment has soared. Retailers said it spiked again after a pro-Trump mob last week infiltrated the U.S. Capitol. And it is continuing to rise as state capitols and federal agencies brace themselves for potential unrest ahead of next week’s inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.
For those trying to stock up on protective gear — a group that now includes state and federal lawmakers, law enforcement organizations, journalists and worried civilians — long delays await.
At Los Angeles-based retailer Security Pro USA, inventory levels of body armor and riot gear that had been depleted over the summer were near normal before rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, according to Michael Wilson, the store’s government sales manager.
“Demand went up again after the Capitol,” Wilson said. “It just stacked on top of an already-existing shortage.”
Recent buyers have been
focused on body armor. Some are “preppers” with an “undertone of fear,” bracing for potential calamity, Wilson said. Civilians have been purchasing ballistic helmets, concealable vests, unmarked riot shields and gas masks.
Roman Zrazhevskiy, whose Austin, Texas-based business Mira Safety sells gas masks, body armor and other safety equipment, said he had been contacted by security officials at three state capitols. In each case, the officials were preparing for the possibility that lawmakers could become targets of far-right and antigovernment groups angry over the results of the presidential election.