VENTURA : Police Seek New Bulletproof Vests
Ventura police will ask the City Council tonight to approve the purchase of 23 bulletproof vests for the department’s Special Weapons and Tactics team and for its narcotics officers.
Police Chief Richard Thomas will ask the council for $35,650 in drug-asset seizure funds to purchase the vests, which will replace the city’s current supply, many of which are several years old, off warranty and may not stop all rounds fired from high-powered firearms.
Each new vest, manufactured by U. S. Armor Inc., costs $1,550, Thomas said.
To shield the city from potential liability, Thomas said, it is important to provide officers with in-warranty vests.
The vests, made with LT Kevlar, were designed by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department officials and weigh just eight pounds--24 pounds less than those now in use.
The new vests also come with a 10-year warranty--five years longer than the warranty offered by most manufacturers.
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