FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? BJA
Monday, May 14, 2001???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 202/307-0703
POLICE BUY OVER 190,000 BULLETPROOF VESTS
WITH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT FUNDING HELP
WASHINGTON, D.C.-- Nearly 4,500 law
enforcement and corrections agencies across the nation have obtained partial
funding for bulletproof vests this fiscal year through the Justice Department?s
Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program.
The Department?s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is distributing $25
million to jurisdictions nationwide through FY 2001 to provide for up to half
the cost of bullet-resistant vests.
"Keeping
our law enforcement officers safe is of utmost importance,"Ashcroft
said.? "I'm pleased to be providing
our communities with the resources they need to help ensure safety, and I look
forward to serving even more jurisdictions than last year."
The Department?s program will help state,
county and local law enforcement and corrections agencies purchase over 190,000
bulletproof vests this year.? Since the
program began 3 years ago, Justice Department funding has assisted with the
purchase of over 500,000 vests.? The
program, which has had more jurisdictions apply each year, showed a substantial
increase? this year, with over 25
percent more applicants.
Under the initiative, each jurisdiction may
purchase one vest per officer per year, and all vests must meet or exceed
standards developed by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ).? For the first time, jurisdictions were also
able to? purchase NIJ-approved stab‑resistant
vests.? NIJ issued a standard for
stab-resistant body armor in September 2000 and provided more than 60
stab-resistant models for consideration.
Department funding will help with the purchase of nearly 24,000
stab-resistant vests, with nearly 17,000 going to the nation?s correctional
facilities.?
The Bulletproof Vest Program is run via the
Internet, enabling law enforcement agencies or jurisdiction officials to gain
access from any computer at any time. Eligible personnel can browse the Website
and get information on vest models, as well as discuss perferred types of vests
with other agencies.
BJA also has a toll-free number to assist
agencies use the application system.
Rural jurisdictions without direct Web access are able to work through
the National Center for Rural Law Enforcement (NCRLE), which helps those
agencies find Internet access or processes their applications by phone.? NCRLE has processed applications for 27
jurisdictions that were unable to locate Internet service.???????????????
The Bulletproof Vest Program was first
established by the Bulletproof Vest Grant Partnership Act of 1998.? The Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant (P.L.
106-517) enacted last
year, authorizes funding three more years, from 2002 to 2004.? It provides priority funding for
jurisdictions with populations under 100,000 and increases the authorized
funding level to $50 million each year.
The following are Websites about the program and agencies involved:
Bulletproof Vests:???????? ??????????? http://vests.ojp.gov.
BJA:???????????????????????????????????????? http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA.
OJP:???????????????????????????? ??????????? http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov.
For additional
information about the bulletproof vest initiative, contact Sheila Jerusalem
at 202-307-0703.
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