The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) informed our agency that we will receive an award under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) solicitation.
ONE MILLION VESTS: Since 1999, the BVP program has awarded more than 13,000 jurisdictions a total of $467 million in federal funds for the purchase of over one million vests (1,349,813) as of January 2019.
Uniquely Fitted Armor Vest Requirement- Jurisdictions receiving funding for reimbursement of body armor purchases must have in place a uniquely fitted vest requirement when the FY 2019 BVP applications are submitted.
Following two years of declining law enforcement officer line-of-duty deaths, the country realized a dramatic 37 percent increase in officer deaths in 2010. Fifty-nine of the 160 officers killed in 2010 were shot during violent encounters; a 20 percent increase over 2009 numbers.
The U.S. Department of Justice is committed to improving officer safety and has undertaken research to review and analyze violent encounters and law enforcement officer deaths and injuries. Due to the increase in the number of law enforcement officer deaths, coupled with our renewed efforts to improve officer safety, beginning with FY 2011, in order to receive BVP funds, jurisdictions must certify, during the application process, that all law enforcement agencies benefitting from the BVP Program have a written “mandatory wear” policy in effect. This policy must be in place for at least all uniformed officers before any FY 2011 funding can be used by the agency. There are no requirements regarding the nature of the policy other than it being a mandatory wear policy for all uniformed officers while on duty.
The Round Lake Park Police Department has provided and maintains a “mandatory wear” policy for all officers.









