Police in Westwood, Township Receive Grant Money for Body Armor

The police departments in both Westwood and Washington Township will receive grant money to purchase or replace body armor vests for its officers, Attorney General Paula T. Dow announced Tuesday.

The is slated to receive $2,289.36 while the will get $2,715.39.

The state Division of Criminal Justice is providing nearly $3.6 million to more than 500 law enforcement agencies across New Jersey through the state's Body Armor Replacement Fund.

The fund was established in 1998 and is paid for through a $1 surcharge on traffic tickets and forfeitures of bail. The state awarded grants to all 544 agencies that applied.

Westwood Police Chief Frank Regino explained that the vests are replaced every five years and every officer is required to wear one. He said the department participates in the program every year.

"It's great for us and the community," Regino said. "The community doesn't have to make the expense."

As a condition of receiving a grant, each agency must purchase vests approved the National Institute of Justice. There are hundreds of vests on the institute's list.

The cost of a vest varies depending on the model. The New Jersey State Police plan to buy vests for $759.80 apiece.

Bergen County agencies received $265,515.24 for the vests, split among 71 agencies. The grants were as high as $38,246.92 for the Bergen County Sheriff's Office to as low as $1,266.87 for the Harrington Park Police Department.

"In these tough economic times, police are hard-pressed to find money for new equipment," said the state Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor. "This $3.6 million in funding will help to ensure that one of their most crucial pieces of equipment—lifesaving body armor—will not be outdated and worn out when our officers hit the streets to protect New Jersey residents."