I don't have much to add, save in regard to the mirror comment in the OP.

In certain situations, I suppose, someone being overheated / blinded by illumination would have more than a bit or irony.

If they allow the police to wear high tech gears, then it would just be war. Overly protective means overly confident.

In Northern Ireland we have riots every single year in the height of summer.

While in the Army I have been one of the oppressive, evil public order suppressors many times as part of the Security Forces.

The Army wouldn't fork out for decent public order kit for us, so we just wore 2 layers of the old issue uniforms that were a bit more flame retardent as well as combat body armour, some shin guards, padded gloves and a normal issue helmet with attached visor nape protector. Most of us wore balaclavas to protect our faces from flash/acid burns as well as our identities (being an Irish regiment many of us came from these areas and didn't want our families subjected to targeting if we were recognised). It was pretty hot, but you just crack on with it.

The police were much more well protected. They had nomex flame retardent coveralls, balaclavas and base layers, armoured leg and arm guards, kevlar gloves as well as purpose designed helmets and better (but heavier) body armour. They were able to work for many hours in the summer heat and were replaced regularly when rests were needed. They could keep this up for weeks at a time.

We worked in base lines with a secondary reserve to replace casualties. There were regular resupplies of water and we swapped shifts and duties often. Again, we could (and did) keep this up for weeks on end.

Petrol bombs/molitov cocktails are used against us all the time. We simply push through and the fire teams sort it out. Even if it hits you directly the coveralls give loads of protection, and the boys just shrug it off. Each team has fire extinguishers carried as standard for this. We even throw real ones at each other in training to get used to the feeling.

As for shining a lazer pointer at the police - some decent glasses exist that would negate this threat. If a reat threat to life limb or EYESIGHT exists there is the option of lethal force, though it would have to be a considerable threat.

There are very few things that can be used against public order troops/police that haven't been tried before.

In my THIRD JOB...I have been fortunate enough to have been wearing a Super Light Woven Material...no metal or ceramic plating...Non-Standard Issue...Body Armor but it is nothing akin to armor at all. It is relatively thin and is designed for prevention of Ballistic Penetration at certain distances but can still partially stop various Assault Rifle rounds even at point blank range but not if multiple rounds hit the same spot.

It is VERY EXPENSIVE and this woven Vest is made of several materials with it's ability to be so light weight and also stop a round in the WAY these materials have been woven.

Although this is not an accurate analogy...this vest is the equivalent to using the Geometric Construct of a material...such as in a way...but not the same geometry or reason...of how the Soviet T-34 Tank had sloped armor so that a simple angle design made armor that was a certain thickness head on...thicker to penetrate at an angle.

I know this vest works because I was shot wearing one at close range and although there was some ballistic penetration...it saved my life...Hurt Like Hell though and I thought I was going to die...but I would not be wearing Heavy Armor to be able to move through the area at the rate as well as terrain we had to traverse. This Vest should be standard issue but I guess it is so expensive they will not buy enough for the entire U.S. Military Force. Split Infinity

Eliminating obesity in the police force would go a long way to stop cops suffering from exhaustion when wearing all the gear they are given.

When i served in the British army, you trained to fight in the gear you would be carrying. You did it often and therefore didn't flake out when you were called upon to do your job.

If you were too fat to do your job, you were kicked out.

CX.

You think Riot gear is hot, try throwing on bunker gear & a scott airpack on a 95 degree day. LEO's are human, anything that you're vulnerable to, they're vulnerable to