to: Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager
from: Brian Curran, Police Chief
Chris Blue, Administrative Captain
Kenneth C. Pennoyer, Business Management Director
subject: Acceptance of FY2008-2009 Bulletproof Vest Partnership Funds
date: January 12, 2009
The attached resolution and ordinance would authorize the acceptance of FY2008-2009 Department of Justice bulletproof vest partnership grant funds in the amount of $10,466 to enhance the Police Department’s efforts to provide safety equipment to officers.
Since 1999, over 11,500 jurisdictions have participated in the Bullet Proof Vest Partnership, with $118 million in federal funds committed to support the purchase of an estimated 450,000 vests. The Bullet Proof Vest Partnership funds up to 50 percent of the cost of each vest purchased or replaced by law enforcement applicants. Only vest models that comply with the requirements of the Office of Justice Programs’ National Institute of Justice (NIJ) may be purchased with Bullet Proof Vest Partnership funds. The Bullet Proof Vest Partnership Act of 1998 requires that at least half of all appropriated funds support applications from jurisdictions with populations under 100,000 people.
In October 2008, the U.S. Department of Justice notified the Police Department that the Department’s request for funds had been approved in the amount of $10,466. These funds would be used to reimburse half the cost of every bulletproof vest purchased by the Police Department. The Police Department purchases approximately 15 vests each year at an average cost of $500 each.
The Town would receive a Grant Award in the amount of $10,466 to support the purchase of bullet proof vests for officers. The Town would submit receipts to the Department of Justice for reimbursement of half of the cost of each vest purchased up to the total amount of the grant. The Police Department will pay for the balance of the cost of each vest from funds budgeted for this purpose in the Police Department operating budget.
We recommend that the Council adopt the attached resolution authorizing the acceptance of the Bullet Proof Vest Partnership grant funds, and that the Council enact the attached budget ordinance amendment appropriating the funds.