Police department receives grant for bulletproof vests
By Chris Fortune
Federal funds are helping local police officers perform their jobs with updated safety equipment.
The city council approved the purchase of bulletproof vests and authorized a partnership grant with the U.S. Bureau of Justice for $11,452 at its meeting last week. It pays for half of the $22,904 the city will spend on around 20 of the vests St. Joseph officers are required to wear for safety.
Law enforcement officers can often face risks and threats while on duty. Earlier this week, an officer in Kansas City was shot during a traffic stop and taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. This is just one example of the potential danger that can arise with the job.
“I think it’s probably one of our most critical pieces of safety equipment,” Police Chief Paul Luster said. “I think statistics have just shown over the years how effective the bullet-resistant vest is and how many potential lives that piece of equipment has saved.”
The National Institute of Justice says body armor has saved the lives of more than 3,000 police officers over the last three decades. The vests are required to be replaced every five years.
“You’re talking about a piece of equipment that gets worn every shift,” he said. “And so, it gets a lot of wear and tear, and so to make sure that that vest is at its maximum potential, to stop a bullet, it’s always a manufacturer’s recommendation that you rotate those about every five years.”
It is a piece of equipment that officers are custom-fitted for and wear in their everyday duties. Detectives are also required to wear vests if they are taking any enforcement action, like serving a warrant.
“We have a vendor, and they’ll send someone to measure them, and they’ll get their measurements, and then we’ll order that vest typically while they’re still in the academy, so they have that available to them as soon as they graduate,” he said.
Luster said he is grateful for the partnership with the U.S. Bureau of Justice and the availability of the grant funds.
“I’m not alone as a police chief in saying that we appreciate that partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the ability to get those extra funds to keep our officers in the most updated safety equipment,” he said.
