Fear of crime in New York City has changed the fall childhood ritual of school shopping.

Remember going to the first day of grade school decked out in store-stiff Levis, carrying a brand new book bag and Snoopy lunchbox?

Well, upscale youngsters in New York City and other metropolitan areas are wearing something stiffer than new jeans to school this fall. Prompted by the pervasive fear of crime, the latest urban fashion is bulletproof windbreakers,jackets and blazers.

It’s hard to believe the bulletproof vest has gone from the realm of cop shows to the playground, but fear of death is a strong marketing tool for those who can afford to take precautions.

New York City Policeman Stephen D’Andrilli has just come out with a line of bulletproof jackets for children that sell for between $250 to $600. Fearful adults also can indulge themselves in bulletproof wear ranging from leather jackets at $3,000 to Russian sable coats at $80,000.

D’Andrilli has already taken more than three dozen orders for the jackets.

What’s ironic about this line of bulletproof clothing is the comparison between the expensive prices and who really needs protection from random gunfire.

Those who can afford to spend $80,000 on a fur coat—twice what most people earn in one year—are not the kind who wait for the train on a subway platform.

Most of the children killed by stray bullets live in lower-income areas, like housing projects. Stray bullets from rival gangs pierce doors and windows, killing children while they sleep or play in their own homes.

These families don’t have hundreds of dollars to buy trendy bulletproof clothing. For them, violence is just another part of another day.

Crime among the poor is virtually ignored, but when violence seeps from the “bad neighborhoods” into neutral or upscale areas, the threat strikes close to home. What can’t be combatted by police departments can be bought by those who can afford it.

Along with expensive home security systems, Doberman pinschers, handguns and private security guards, the wealthy now can indulge their sense of fashion with a novel, yet stylish, bulletproof coat.

The availability of crime protection, which should be provided to everyone by police, has become another block in the wall between the “Haves” and the “Have-nots.”

There’s an indisputable crime problem in New York City. An average day in the Big Apple brings five murders, nine rapes, 256 robberies, 332 burglaries and 367 vehicle thefts. The city is on its way to a new record of 2,000 homicides in one year.

But after the wealthy cocoon themselves with all the private crime protection money can buy, where does it leave those who are most victimized by crime?

Perhaps D’Andrilli could better use his time thinking of ways to prevent crime rather than make a profit off citizens’ fear. There’s unspoken resignation and classism when wealthy American children walk to school wearing bulletproof clothing and the rest are naked to crime.