UK: High Visibility Police Jacket In Line For Nationwide Rollout

A manufacturer of high visibility and corporate clothing is on the verge of a major coup. Applied Visibility ― formerly the Hauberk Group ― has developed a new all-weather high visibility jacket for the police force. The jacket has already been undergoing extensive trials with six forces and Andrew Barlow, managing director of Applied Visibility, is confident that the jacket will be taken up by the police nationally."It has been designed to fit the new national police uniform. The jacket can be used by any force with just a change of badge," said Mr Barlow. He added that the design enabled police officers to wear their kit belts over the jacket."The jacket incorporates neoprene. That lets the jacket sit more comfortably on the hip, it offers some protection if you are knocked and, because it fits snugly, the belt will fit over the top. That is important because officers are having to carry more and more equipment ― handcuffs, batons, CS gas and up to eight notebooks. Our intention is that the jacket will be adopted nationally as standard specification."Applied Visibility, which is based in Batley, West Yorkshire, has currently targeted 22 police forces as potential buyers, and the new jacket is expected to help turnover increase by as much as 50 per cent this year.The company's existing high visibility and corporate ranges of jackets, trousers and fleeces are sold to fire and ambulance services, airport authorities, water and TV companies, and it has just clinched its first export order ― from an airport authority in Holland. It expects others to follow.