Switzerland. Geneva. Two police officers are frisk searching and arresting a black african man from Guinea who is under the influence of alcohol. Police car. Both policemen are wearing under their jackets a ballistic vest, bulletproof vest or bullet-resistant vest which is an item of personal armor that helps absorb the impact from knives, firearm-fired projectiles and shrapnel from explosions, and is worn on the torso. Soft vests are made from many layers of woven or laminated fibers and can be capable of protecting the wearer from small-caliber handgun and shotgun projectiles. A frisk search (also called a patdown or pat down) is a search of a person's outer clothing wherein a person runs his or her hands along the outer garments to detect any concealed weapons or contraband. 20.03.12 © 2012 Didier Ruef