Bulletproof vest sales have skyrocketed since COVID-19 hit and is now spiking again after de-fund the police protests. As gun and bullet sales have risen, one Tucson-based company is also reaching a record number of sales for something that protects you from those guns and bullets – bulletproof vests.
Todd Meeks, President of Spartan Armor Systems in Tucson said, “We saw a huge increase in sales because of COVID.”
Meeks said that nationwide body armor sales have gone up 550 percent since the coronavirus reached pandemic levels, and then “On May 29th we saw another huge bump in sales because of the protest and civil unrest right now,” said Meeks, “We have customers that are postal workers that work in rough neighborhoods. We have people that are convenient store workers -anybody that feels like their life could be threatened.”
Tucsonan Michael Meshirer says he highly recommends body armor. “I was shot in the chest, I was shot in the knee twice I was shot in the hand,” said Meshirer, “Body armor actually saved my life when I was out in the desert.”
Meshirer says he’s not surprised that more people are purchasing bullet-proof vests.
“I protect my family. I have an eight-year-old that has body armor, my wife has body armor and it’s just something that should be a mainstay nowadays,” said Meshirer.
There are multiple varieties of body armor available. The A-R 550 is the most popular Spartan Armour Systems product when it comes to demand.
It weighs around 22 pounds. Besides people utilizing these for protection, some use it as a body weight so they can get a better workout and run with the armor.
The demand is so high, that Spartan Armor Systems has had to double it’s workforce and still needs to hire more people.
Mike Gamboa, Arizona Rangers Volunteer, said he’s been a longtime customer of body armor and highly encourages more people to buy bulletproof vests. “Going out and working with all of the different law enforcements, state and federal, you are put into all kinds of situations you don’t know what’s going to happen,” said Gamboa.
Bill Nordbrock also actively volunteers with the Arizona Rangers and added “Its good to be protected. Sometimes bad things happen to good people.”
The average price of bulletproof vests ranges anywhere from $400 to $1,500 depending on the equipment.
