http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7541675.stm
For male readers, the only difference between the bra pictured and one available at Walmart is that it says Polizei across the band. Admittedly there are no Walmarts in Germany, but the point is that there's nothing really special about this bra. If you read the article, it claims that they're like sports bras, butwith no underwires or clasps -- Two features not standard in sports bras in the first place.
One of my journalism professors, if we were stumped following a story, told us "Money, money, money. Follow the money until you find out where it's coming from."
3000 bras, plus the number of surplus or spares, + distribution, + R &D. I don't know where it's coming from, but I bet it costs more than distributing informational fliers suggesting female cops wear a sports bra under their bulletproof vest, perhaps one packaged with every uniform or vest.
This is just not an example of good journalism. The writer did not talk to people outside the PR department (Offhand, I don't know Der Polizei's policy on officers talking to press, but there are surely some lingerie store owners who might have something to say), which meant that no-one pointed out to her(?) that these are just normal bras, and didn't ask the #2 question on dealing with everything government/bureaucracy related: "Who is paying for this BS?"
(The number one question is always "Is it true?")
Seriously, who wants a bra with their work position printed on it, anyway?
