State funds provide new body armor to Southeast Ohio police agencies

Area law enforcement agencies are beginning to receive new body armor purchased with grant money from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.In April, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said in a statement that the money used to purchase the vests was a wise investment for the state.To get more news about hard bulletproof vest, you can visit bulletproofboxs.com official website.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office received the maximum grant of $40,000 in order to buy 15 new armored vests for its tactical teams, said Sheriff Charles Black Jr.

Black said the exterior armor is stronger than the soft vests worn traditionally by deputies under their uniforms. He said since his tactical team is tasked to face the most violent of criminals in his county, they were the recipients of Yost’s investment.

Black said the vests have a life-span of five years before needing to be replaced, and his tactical teams vests only had a year left on their service. With military and other law enforcement agencies always ordering the vests, he said he had to plan ahead and order the new vests before the old ones expired.

With Marietta College Police Department’s vests ending their service life in July, Chief James Weaver III said the $7,757 in grant money for new vests came in at just the right time. He said his officers receive a psychological boost knowing they have the vests to help protect them from injury.He said his department ordered the soft vests that are worn under the uniform, but also ordered speed plates that can be inserted into the vests that make them stronger. The plates are made from 100 percent polyethylene and can stop a .30 caliber round traveling at 2,030 feet per second.

He said the money in his budget that would have been used to purchase the nine new vests can now be used for training his officers to better interact with the people they protect.

The Belpre Police Department received $6,209, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office was allocated $3,281 and the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office received $8,808 for the purchase of new body armor from the grant as well.