The Asheville Police Department (APD) will soon acquire 78 brand new bulletproof vests for officers, thanks to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant.
The DOJ has preliminarily determined that the City of Asheville is eligible to receive an award of $25,219.31 for the vests, which requires a dollar-for-dollar match by the City.
“Ensuring the safety of our police officers is vitally important,” said City Manager Debra Campbell. “This funding will have a substantial impact on the City’s ability to provide personnel with crucial safety equipment.”
On Nov. 12, City Council adopted a resolution that amends the 2019-20 Fiscal Year Budget Ordinance in order to apply for and accept the grant. The City’s match will be $25,219.31 and is included in the APD Fiscal Year 2020 budget.
APD has participated in the federal Bulletproof Vest Partnership since 2000 and, to date, has received $280,402.97 for ballistic vests through the program. Each vest has a five-year replacement cycle.
The Bulletproof Vest Partnership was created in 1998 to provide a critical resource to state and local law enforcement. Since 1999, the BVP program has awarded more than 13,000 jurisdictions with a total of $467 million in federal funds for the purchase of more than 1 million vests.