EVCs used by patrol LEOs are very, very commonly seen here in the Pac NW nowadays.
Even hyper politically correct Seattle PD authorizes them and their guys/gals are using them.
I have been using the Safariland Oregon City Carrier for over 2 yrs now. Maybe 25% of our agency has gone to it. Only 1 guy has gone back to the traditional concealed SBA after trying the OCC.
2 guys in particular prefer the OCC, due to their on duty related back injuries (both have been hit by drunk drivers, one of them twice).
There has been a near total absence of public comment/feedback to the guys using the OCC's. Nothing negative. Sometime something positive. Usually, "You sure carry a lot of stuff". I inform them that I am carrying the same stuff I was before, but it's much better for my back. They get that, especially those over 40.
To me, the main advantage of a EVC is the ability to wear plates, full time. If the murders of officers by bad guys using rifles hasn't gotten your attention, it should. I equate leaving plates in a PC in the patrol car to the 70s and 80s and even the 90s in which many LEOs didn't wear SBA, they just left it in the car with the idea that they would don it if they thought they needed it. How many perished needlessly due to this line of thinking? How many LEOs have died bc they weren't wearing plates? Dunno, but it's been more than a few.
Esp now that plates are, relatively, much lighter and thinner than they used to be.
Not so long ago, I had a major medical issue requiring emergency surgery, 5 days in the hospital, a month off work, and permanent changes to my lifestyle. The hospital bill was $75k, and my out of pocket was $1100. It put for me into perspective that I would gladly spend $1100 on top quality plates to stay alive. That's about the cost of a set of top level plates from Velocity systems (shameless plug for Mike at AT Armor).
I wear Lev 3+ plates full time in my OCC (though not the PBZ's). It was a slight adjustment, but most of the time I don't notice it, and I am grateful for them when it comes to calls when a rifle either has or might have been involved on the part of the suspect(s).