Vt. cops get body armor via grant

Vermont Journalism Trust

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Wednesday that 27 towns and counties across Vermont have been awarded grants from the U.S. Department of Justice to help purchase bulletproof vests for law enforcement officers. The grants are provided through the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program, which Leahy authored in 1998.

The Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program has helped to provide nearly one million bulletproof vests to law enforcement officers across the country, including more than 3,000 vests for Vermont officers. The new grants will help offices in Vermont buy more than 320 new vests.

“Bulletproof vests are saving lives of law enforcement officers across the country,” said Leahy. “They protect those who are on the streets every day helping to keep our communities safe, and the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program has proven its life-saving value.”

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