Township Police Awarded $2K Grant for Bullet-Proof Vests

The Wyckoff Police Department now has extra funds to purchase bullet-proof vests, thanks to the state.

The township authorities were awarded $2,313.48 last week from the Division of Criminal Justice as part of a $3.5 million grant program that distributed awards to more than 500 New Jersey law enforcement agencies.

Chief Benjamin Fox said the department annually applies for grants through the state's Body Armor Replacement Fund, which was established in 1998 and is funded through a $1 surcharge on traffic tickets and forfeitures of bail, according to the state.

With the money, Wyckoff will be able to replace vests at "no cost" to the township, Fox said.

The grant award will be distributed to the township and will sit untouched until the police department has a vest that needs replacing, the chief said.

"It's not like you have to replace a vest every year," Fox said.

All Wyckoff officers currently have a bullet-proof vest available to them, which typically lasts five years. While wear and tear will often necessitate replacement, Fox said it's usually "up to the individual officer" if they need a new vest, which costs approximately $700.

"Some guys are comfortable with the vests they're wearing," Fox said.

The state mandates purchases from a list of vests certified by the National Institute of Justice, the research arm of the U.S. Department of Justice, with hundreds of approved vests on the list.

New Jersey officials said all agencies that applied for a grant this year were awarded funds.

"We are pleased to restore dedicated funding for this year to a level consistent with the history of this valuable program, so that law enforcement agencies can purchase lifesaving body armor vests for their officers," Attorney General Paula Dow said in a news release. "Police officers devote their lives to protecting us, and we need to do all that we can to make them safer."

Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor said, "This $3.5 million goes directly to the purchase of bullet-resistant vests, which will help shield law enforcement officers from the dangers they face as they serve the people of New Jersey. This brings the 13-year funding total for the program to over $45 million."

The $3.5 million awarded this year was a sharp increase over the $1,300,090 awarded in 2009, but in line with the annual grant awards from 1998 to 2008.

For a full list of awards, see the attached pdf.