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Who is more effective? A heavily armored tactical operator or one who has less armor and can be more agile?
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Who is safer? Rule #1: go home at the end of your shift.
Body armor is great, but it has great limitations. Too long down your belly and close to your throat, and it will strangle you as you sit in the car on the way to a search. Arm holes have to be big enough to allow you to move into a shooting stance. Some body armor has gaps in it where the panels meet or other limited coverage, and none have coverage for your head, femoral artery, lower intestinal tract, pelvis etc. The shield is much better for going through doors, down hallways, and covering prior to breaching. Commonly used Level IIIA shields are relatively light, and are a great comfort to the rank and file on drug searches, where speed is a big factor. SWAT of course has the shields that will stop rifle rounds.
Agility really has nothing to do with effectiveness, unless you are convinced the best man really wins. Most law enforcement officers who get shot are the victims of chance, as the bad guys blaze away and the bullets go where they go. It is well known that while we have to be good, they just have to be lucky.