We join the Greater Richmond community in mourning the death of Trooper Chad P. Dermyer of the Virginia State Police.

The 37-year-old husband and father of two was fatally shot last week during a training exercise at the busy Greyhound bus station on the Boulevard.

In Trooper Dermyer’s case, he approached an Illinois man who had stopped in Richmond en route from Raleigh to Chicago. Authorities said James Brown III was traveling with 143 rounds of ammunition and two partially loaded 30-round clips in his luggage. When he was approached by Trooper Dermyer, authorities said, Mr. Brown pulled out a .40-caliber handgun and shot Trooper Dermyer in the chest.

Mr. Brown then was shot to death by other troopers involved in the bus station exercise.

Two women from New York and North Carolina were wounded in the hail of bullets. Authorities have not said who fired the shots that harmed them.

We deplore the death of law enforcement officers at the hands of gun-toting maniacs, just as we deplore the death of young African-Americans at the hands of gun-toting, maniac cops.

This tragic situation, which terrified scores of innocent travelers and workers in and around the Greyhound station, alarmed people across the city and beyond. Richmond was tagged and showcased on national news because of the violence.

If Richmond is to be highlighted and elevated for something positive, perhaps we can lead the way in closing the gap uncovered by this serious incident.

That gap: Virginia State Police aren’t required to wear bullet-proof vests while on the job. Col. W. Steven Flaherty, head of the State Police, said the policy only recommends that vests be worn by troopers; it doesn’t mandate it.

This is a fatal flaw, as we witnessed last week. There is some thought that Trooper Dermyer might have had a chance at survival had he been wearing his bullet-proof vest.

We believe all state troopers — and, indeed, all law enforcement officers — should be required to wear bullet-proof vests.

Like body cameras, they are vital to safety and possible survival.

According to a January report, “Body Armor for Law Enforcement Officers: In Brief,” issued by the Congressional Research Service, armor vests have saved the lives of more than 3,000 law enforcement officers during the past 30 years.

While an increasing percentage of police departments across the nation have instituted “mandatory wear” policies, the report so aptly states that “armor vests can only save lives when they are actually worn.”

Since 1998-99, Congress has put up money through a matching grant program to enable state, local and tribal governments to purchase bullet-proof vests for law and court officers.

That amount previously ranged from $25 million to $30 million a year, but has been reduced during each of the last four years, according to the report, to less than $23 million annually.

We think it is taxpayer money that is well spent.

We urge law enforcement agencies in Richmond and across the state to move to policies mandating that officers wear bullet-proof vests. It’s proven protection. While it won’t bring Trooper Dermyer back to his family and his job, it may save someone else’s life.