The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that 111 Indiana law-enforcement agencies will be awarded a total of $377,409 to help purchase ballistic or stab-resistant body armor.
Dave Murtaugh, executive director of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, says that, according to the National Institute of Justice, over 3,000 police officer lives have been saved over the last thirty years due to ballistic body armor. The ICJI recognizes local agencies that met the requirements for the Bulletproof Vest Partnership matching grants and applied directly with the DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Assistance.
The Bulletproof Vest Partnership gave funding priority to cities, towns and counties with less than 100,000 residents. The 50-50 matching funds reimburse the purchase of NIJ-compliant vests that are made in the United States and ordered after April 1, 2017.
Local agencies that have received funding for ballistic or stab-resistant body armor include:
City of Jasper, who received $2,523.69
Town of Ferdinand, who received $634.92
Spencer County, who received $6,062.05
Pike County, who received $1,671.88
The local agencies listed below must request reimbursement before Aug. 31, 2019. For more information, visit www.ojp.gov/bvpbasi.
