Armoured Victorian Police conduct raids on club houses of bikie gangs across Melbourne last month. Credit:Penny Stephens "He has broken the impasse between police and the Commissioner of Police," Mr Leavers said this morning. "He has agreed to roll out personal body armour in stages to police who are at high risk and who need the equipment," he said. Mr Leaver said Mr Dempsey would encourage Police Commissioner Ian Stewart to strongly consider requests by officers to take weapons home for protection. "He will be urging the Commissioner of Police to consider strongly any applications on behalf of police seriously if they need their firearms for personal protection of themselves and their families."

The police union favours lightweight "singlet - style " body armour that can stop a bullet and is a strong defence against knives as used by Victorian police. Mr Leavers said it would be up to senior police to determine the exact staging of the roll out of protective gear, based on the risk faced by police officers. "We have 11,000 police in Queensland, but we know a lot of areas where the outlaw motorcycle gangs are operating and obviously they will be the areas which would be at most need at this time." Last Friday Commissioner Ian Stewart issued a statement saying protective vests were available to police at their police stations. Mr Leavers said he was pleased Minister Dempsey agreed they may not be suitable in all circumstances.

"You can't drive a police vehicle in them, they are that cumbersome," he said. "And you can't always go back to the station. "And you get some big ones, and some small ones and they don't always fit." Last Friday, Mr Leavers told Fairfax Media the estimated cost was about $5 million to provide enough lightweight singlet style vests to Queensland police. Mr Dempsey said the Monday morning meetings with the police union and then the police commissioner were very positive.

He confirmed police would get personal body armour. "We will be looking at a range of options, including personal protection vests," Mr Dempsey said. Loading He said there had always been "systems in place" for police to apply to take their firearms home. "And if we need to upgrade those measures or make the process even quicker, we are happy to do that."