WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME) and Susan Collins (R-ME) today announced that the U.S. Department of Justice has awarded towns throughout Maine a total of $5,893 in funding to purchase bulletproof vests.
"These Department of Justice funds will help provide essential protection to law enforcement officials in their ongoing effort to keep the people of Maine safe," Senators Snowe and Collins said in a joint statement. "Our police officers are more than deserving of these basic safety measures, and we are pleased to see federal support in this area."
The funding was awarded to the following towns:
• $459 to Buxton
• $1,650 to Jay
• $2,587.50 to Millinocket
• $364 to Oxford
• $555 to Pittsfield
• $277.50 to Searsport
As part of the Department of Justice's Body Armor Safety Initiative, the National Institute of Justice tested Zylon-based vests and found that these vests may not have the needed level of ballistic resistance. On August 24, 2005, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced that, in addition to the existing Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) Program, $10 million would be available to help replace Zylon-based vests. Jurisdictions with fewer than 100,000 residents were eligible for 50 percent of their vest costs, while jurisdictions with over 100,000 residents were eligible for 16.8 percent of their vest costs.