WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Subcommittee, which funds the Department of Justice (DOJ), today announced that law enforcement agencies in Maryland will receive $142,594 for the purchase of bulletproof vests.
“Police protect our homes and communities, and the federal government has a responsibility to protect them by providing them with the tools they need to do their jobs safer and smarter,” Senator Mikulski said. “Every day when our first responders report for duty, they don’t know what they will face. These funds in the federal checkbook will help protect our protectors when they put their lives on the line to keep us safe. I will continue to fight for the equipment, training and staffing our protectors and communities deserve.”
The grants are awarded through the DOJ’s Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) program within the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). In Maryland, 28 different jurisdictions are receiving these funds to support the purchase of 368 new bulletproof vests. Nationally, BJA is awarding $18.2 million to nearly 4,000 jurisdictions to help purchase 49,000 vests.
The BVP is a critical resource for state and local jurisdictions that saves lives. Since 1999 it has awarded a total of $393 million in federal funds to more than 13,000 jurisdictions for the purchase of over one million vests (1,197,348 as of December 2014). Based on data collected and recorded by BJA staff, in fiscal year (FY) 2012, protective vests were directly attributable to saving the lives of at least 33 law enforcement and corrections officers in 20 different states – an increase of 13.7 percent over FY 2011.
Maryland BVP awards by jurisdiction:
