Protecting police officers in Lynbrook

LPD to get federally funded bulletproof vests

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The Lynbrook Police Department will receive eight of the 13,005 bulletproof vests that will be made available to police officers in New York state through new federal funding.

“This massive federal investment will ensure that the men and women who put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe are equipped with the life-saving gear they need to protect themselves,” said Sen. Charles Schumer, who announced the $808,000 funding last week, along with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. Since 1999, the BVP program has awarded more than 13,000 jurisdictions a total of $412 million in federal funds for the purchase of over one million vests (1,235,593 as of January of this year.

The funding was allocated through the Bureau of Justice Assistance Bulletproof Vest Partnership program, which is overseen by the U. S. Department of Justice.

The Lynbrook Police Department currently has 49 police officers. “Department rules mandate that police officers wear their vest at all times while on duty,” Lynbrook Chief of Police Joseph Neve said. “[The officers] keep the residents safe, and we must do whatever we can to keep them safe.”

“This federal funding for new vests is welcome news for New York’s police officers, who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe,” Gillibrand said. “In a dangerous situation, a bulletproof vest might be the only barrier between life and death for an officer. We have to make sure our brave officers are using equipment that is up-to-date and effective. I was proud to fight for this funding, and I will continue to support efforts in the Senate to protect our officers in the line of duty.”

According to Schumer, the Bureau of Justice Assistance program aims to build stronger community relationships by focusing on officer safety, wellness and resilience programs and research, active shooter response, and de-escalation training. The Bulletproof Vest Partnership program prioritizes jurisdictions with 100,000 or fewer residents.

The vests will go to police officers in 192 jurisdictions around the state. Long Island will receive 1,477 vests; New York City, 8,569; the Capital Region, 232; Central New York, 418; the Southern Tier, 224; the Rochester-Finger Lakes Region, 419; the Mohawk Valley, 145; Western New York, 574; the Hudson Valley Region, 569; Westchester, 356; and the North Country, 22.

The LPD paid $450 for vests earlier this year, and were reimbursed 50 percent of the cost from the DOJ.

Cities receiving funding are required to use National Institute of Justice-approved vendors to replace vests that are damaged or are more than five years old.

“I thank the U.S. Department of Justice for reimbursing half of the expense of the vest,” Neve said, adding that the village will cover the other half of their cost.