“From the foundation of the City till the reign of the Emperor Gratian the foot wore cuirasses and helmets. But negligence and sloth having by degrees introduced a relaxation of discipline, the soldiers began to think their armor too heavy as they seldom put it on. They first requested leave from the Emperor to lay aside the cuirass and afterwards the helmet. In consequence of this our troops in their engagements with the Goths were often overwhelmed with their showers of arrows. Nor was the necessity of obliging the infantry to resume their cuirasses and helmets discovered, notwithstanding such repeated defeats, which brought on the destruction of so many great cities. Troops, defenseless and exposed to all the weapons of the enemy, are more disposed to fly than to fight.”
- Vegetius, “De Re Militari” (On the Military), 378 A.D.
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Michael Redman had been suspended without pay since Aug. 22 for not wearing his body armor while on duty.
Yale police chief Michael Redman's suspension has been rescinded after he complied with the mayor's rules on wearing a bullet proof vest.
Redman had been suspended without pay since Aug. 22 for not wearing his body armor while on duty after being asked to do so by Mayor Richard Busch. Redman asked the city for a hearing on the suspension that was scheduled for Monday night. The hearing was cancelled because the suspension was called off.
"The mayor rescinded the suspension, directed that the chief be paid for the time he was off and replaced (the suspension) with a written warning regarding the incident, considering the fact that the chief has complied with his directive and will continue to do so," said Yale City Manager John Osborn.
The chief has been complying with the mayor's request since he returned to work, Busch said.
"He's worn his vest each day he's been back to work," he said. "That's all I wanted him to do in the first place."
Stemming from Redman's suspension, Busch wants an official policy in place that states the police chief be included in those who must wear body armor while on duty. A policy exists through the police department that mandates that officers wear their vests while on duty, but does not mention the chief.
"The (proposed) policy is going to state that every employee of the police department, chief included, will be expected to wear a body armor device while on duty," he said. "The city has provided officers with their body armor."
While performing administrative duties, Busch said, officers who wear vests on the outside of uniforms must keep them close by.
"I don't have a problem with them taking it off during administrative duties, but they should keep it within arm's reach," he said. "Most officers are wearing the outside (vest). We do have a couple, chief included, who wear the body armor underneath. They will be expected to keep theirs on."
Busch said the vest policy is a priority, and he's hoping it will be voted on by the next city council meeting on Sept. 12. He said he has no doubt it would pass.
Redman declined to comment.
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