MADISON COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Law enforcement agencies put their life on the line every day; now Kentucky is stepping in to make sure every officer, deputy, and trooper in the state is protected.
When Kentucky police officers and sheriff's deputies go out on a call they put their lives at risk each day. Never knowing if the situation will take a turn for the worse.
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman launched a new $15-million grant program that will provide all law enforcement agencies in Kentucky with bulletproof vests, a lifesaving piece of equipment.
"Safety of our officers is of utmost importance and for them to be able to do their job with confidence and be able to protect the citizens of the Commonwealth," explains Deputy Michael Stotts with the Madison County Sheriff's Office. "Anything that an officer responds to, there's a firearm involved. So it gives that safety that level of protection in addition to the confidence it gives the officer in allowing them to do their job."
Coleman states that one in five, which is 20% of Kentucky officers, don't have body armor or is expired. The average bulletproof vest lasts five years.
"I have gone to the range with some of this body armor. I have used very powerful rifles from a .308 to a .223 to an AK-47 and shot at close range a rifle plate - what looks like a piece of plastic - the officer on the other side would have survived had there been an officer on the other side," said Coleman.
"Me personally through my career, I've been fortunate enough where I've worn a vest and it has not- I haven't had to endure a gunshot or anything like that," said Deputy Stotts. "Having known people who the vest have saved them, of course, you're going to sustain injuries regardless. But a lot of times they're not life threatening injuries just the main thing."
Madison County has already ordered 19 vests for new officers, court security, and deputies.
You can visit this link for the body armor grant application.
