More than a dozen area city and county law enforcement agencies have been awarded grant money for bulletproof vests.
Under the Fiscal Year 2011 Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) solicitation, Texas received more than $1.6 million to better protect police officers, sheriff’s deputies and campus police statewide. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that in 2010, 59 of the 160 officers killed were shot during violent encounters; a 20 percent increase over 2009 numbers.
Hunt, Rockwall and Wood counties combined to receive nearly $11,000 in materials. Area cities awarded funding includes Caddo Mills, Cumby, Greenville, Paris, Princeton, Royse City, Sulphur Springs and West Tawakoni at an average of approximately $3,000 apiece. You can view a complete breakdown below.
Agencies awarded these funds must have a policy in place requiring officers inuniform to wear a bullet proof vest. In addition, all vests that are purchased must meet or surpass the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) standards.
According to Greenville Police Chief Daniel Busken, “Unfortunately there are many, many police officers working the streets in this country without the protection offered by a ballistic vest. Although there is no guarantee a ballistic vest enables the officer to survive an armed encounter, wearing a vest increases those odds.”
The partnership grant program is set-up to reimburse agencies up to 50% of their bullet proof vest cost per year on a five year cycle.
Caddo Mills: $ 3,050.00
Cumby: $ 1,186.99
Greenville: $ 5,075.00
Heath: $ 1,450.00
Paris: $ 1,592.50
Princeton: $ 747.50
Reno: $ 311.48
Rockwall: $ 4,650.00
Royse City: $ 4,991.60
Sulphur Springs: $ 8,399.86
Terrell: $ 5,927.53
West Tawakoni: $ 2,827.50
Hunt County: $ 4,506.25
Rockwall County: $ 5,924.63
Wood County: $ 425.00