Sales of bulletproof backpacks soared after Uvalde school shooting. But do they work?

The new school year is right around the corner for children across North Texas and safety is on the minds of many parents, educators and school administrators.

It’s only been a couple of months since the school shooting in Uvalde that claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers. In the aftermath of the tragic shooting, sales of bullet-resistant backpacks soared heading into the summer.

A bullet-resistant backpack is essentially a bag with a Kevlar lining sewn into the fabric, or an insert in the bag. Various retailers sell the bags and there are different levels of the bullet-resistant padding that can stop certain ammunition.

While the backpacks may provide an extra layer of safety, situations where the bag can be useful are extremely remote, said Craig Miller, retired Dallas ISD Police Department chief and chief executive officer of the Craig Miller Group security consultants.

“Obviously, I think anything a parent wants to do that they think will give them comfortableness,” he said. “I don’t personally feel like the bullet-resistant backpack is as beneficial as probably what it would cost and the situations where it will be useful will be so remote.”

Bulletproof backpacks

Body armor in general has different levels of protection, such as the vests police officers use, compared to some advertised bullet-resistant backpacks on the market.

Many of the shooters involved in attacks in schools used armor-piercing bullets and rifle rounds, Miller said, and it would have taken a higher level of protection to stop the bullets besides what these backpacks provide. Armor-piercing bullets do exactly what the name suggests and are designed to pierce through types of body armor.

It depends on what type of ammunition the shooter is using, he said.

The National Institute of Justice establishes performance standards for body armor, from conducting tests to ensuring standards.

Many bullet-resistant backpacks on the market are made of type IIIA body armor, which can stop handguns that fire 9 mm, .357 SIG flat nose and .44 Magnum rounds. However, type IIIA armor can not stop rifle rounds such as 7.62 FMJ rounds. Mass shooter’s in year’s past have primarily used semi-automatic rifles firing ammunition the backpacks would not have stopped.

Only type III body armor and above can stop rifle or armor-piercing rounds, which is something that police officers use. Type III armor is made up of heavier materials such as ceramics and metals, compared to type IIIA which is made of a softer lighter-weight material, according to Bulletproof Zone.

Something else to consider for one’s security is situational awareness, Miller said.

For example, if students are in a classroom and a gunman walks in, chances are the backpacks will be on the floor or away from students’ reach. It could be beneficial if there was time to barricade the classroom or if someone placed a bullet-resistant backpack in front of themselves, Miller said.

“But that would be a very unique and unusual situation to have that occurrence take place,” he said.

New problems, new technology

It is easy to throw technology into every security problems schools may have, Miller said.

Some districts are starting to use fogging or gunshot detection systems, facial recognition software or bulletproof glass, all of which could work but are expensive. And it all adds up to what a vendor is attempting to sell in the aftermath of a tragedy.

What really should be happening is that doors are locked and access to buildings on campus is reduced, the security consultant said.

Before a school district spends more money, they might consider simpler solutions such as a numbering system for doors on campus, he said. Most campuses have exterior doors around the facility and by numbering each door it makes it easier to communicate to law enforcement where incidents are occurring.

For example, a teacher can say that a student ran out of door six instead of telling police they ran out of the southwest door by the cafeteria — directions with which law enforcement may not be familiar. It would be faster for police to respond to a set numerical order, Miller said.

Another addendum to door safety is to add an audible alarm and security camera on each exterior door, he added.

With the alarm on each exterior door and a camera pointed down on the interior of the hallway, if a student or teacher opened the door it would set off the alarm, taking a photo or video as it happens, Miller said. That way the school knows immediately when an exterior door has been opened and who accessed it.

“I would spend my money on something like that, than I would facial recognition or gunshot detection systems,” he said. “I would rather spend it on something that will be effective, that will make us safer.”

What can parents do to help with school safety?

There’s always something to be done to improve student safety.

Miller said it might seem like he’s downplaying the effectiveness of body armor, but he’s not. If a parent feels strongly enough to send their child to school with a bullet-resistant backpack, nothing is stopping them.

In addition to school districts implementing protocols for locking doors and minimizing outside foot traffic, Miller said, parents can make changes as well.

They can be present in their child’s life — if their child has a phone or computer — knowing who their child is talking to or engaging with online. It’s hard to parent while also giving a child space, but its critical for parents to know what’s going on in their child’s life, Miller said.

Parents could also join or volunteer in their children’s school safety committee and be aware of what policies the school district has in place. Talking with their children’s teachers is another good step in knowing what goes on at school.

“Sometimes you don’t need a new widget or you don’t need a new toy, you need to tell people you love them and be in their lives,” Miller said.