(38th DISTRICT) – Assemblywoman Connie Wagner (D-Bergen) today welcomed news that several police departments in the 38th legislative district have been awarded state grants to purchase or replace body armor vests for their officers.
In the 38th district, the police departments in Cliffside Park, Edgewater, Elmwood, Fair Lawn, Fort Lee, Hasbrouck Heights, Little Ferry, Lodi, Paramus, Ridgefield, Saddle Brook and South Hackensack have been awarded a total of $47,751 in state grants.
“The economy has forced many of our police departments to cut back. The job of a police officer is dangerous to begin with; it should not be made more perilous with lacking or outdated equipment,” said Wagner. “Body armor vests could make the difference between life and death. These grants will help ensure our officers are equipped with the proper gear to keep them safe.”
The $47,751 is part of nearly $3.6 million being distributed to more than 500 New Jersey law enforcement agencies by the state Division of Criminal Justice. The funds are being provided to state, county and local law enforcement and corrections agencies from the state’s Body Armor Replacement Fund, which was established by legislation in 1998 and is funded through a $1 surcharge on traffic tickets and forfeitures of bail.
Since the inception of the Body Armor Replacement Fund Program in 1998, the Division of Criminal Justice – Grants & Program Development Section has provided nearly $50 million to the New Jersey statewide law enforcement community to purchase thousands of new vests.