newssenate approves bulletproof vests for police
Local

Senate approves bulletproof vests for police

mark warnerToday, the United States Senate unanimously approved legislation to reauthorize and extend a grant program that provides lifesaving bulletproof vests to local law enforcement. Last year, the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program helped 85 Virginia law enforcement agencies purchase 1519 protective vests for their officers.

“After a long delay, I am glad that the Senate has finally passed this bipartisan legislation to provide our law enforcement officers with lifesaving bulletproof vests and body armor,” said U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA). “I now urge our colleagues in the House of Representatives to take up and pass this important bill to protect law enforcement officers right away.”

Since 1999, the grant program has helped 13,000 state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the country purchase more than one million protective vests for their officers. According to the Government Accountability Office, the lives of approximately 3000 law enforcement officers have been saved by body armor since 1987.

Yesterday, Sen. Warner joined 16 colleagues in urging full funding for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program, which provides federal funds to local police departments to purchase innovative equipment and technology such as police body cameras.

Contributors

Contributors

Have a story idea or a news tip? Email editor Chris Graham at [email protected]. Subscribe to AFP podcasts on Apple PodcastsSpotifyPandora and YouTube.

Latest News

police lights at night
Virginia

‘Ongoing dispute’ likely cause of Tuesday’s mass shooting in Richmond; graduate targeted outside ceremony

connelly early
Sports

UVA lefty Connelly Early on his improvement on the mound: ‘One pitch at a time’

Virginia didn’t recruit Connelly Early out of high school, where he was an all-state pitcher at Midlothian just outside of Richmond, and even as he was racking up wins after landing at UVA as a transfer this season, it took him forever to crack the weekend rotation.

police
Virginia

Portsmouth man pleads guilty to possessing machine gun, faces 10 years in prison

Trashawn Newsome, 21, of Portsmouth pleaded guilty Friday to possessing a machine gun while Chesapeake Police officers investigated a crime.

fire truck jacket helmet
Virginia

Two former Virginia residents dead after small plane crash in Colonial Beach

court law
Virginia

Newport News man pleads guilty, faces 10 years in child sex abuse case

smoke wildfires canada
U.S./World

Poor air quality in Virginia likely to remain for days due to Canadian wildfires; N95 masks recommended

basketball
Sports

VCU basketball adds Germany pro league veteran Jacob Patrick to 2023-2024 roster