WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Judiciary Committee and co-chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, hosted a briefing on Tuesday for members of Congress and their staff to learn about and experience wearing bullet-resistant and stab-resistant body armor. The event, “Protection through Innovation: Bullet – and Stab-Resistant Body Armor and Our Nation’s Law Enforcement Officers,” was sponsored by the Senate and House Law Enforcement Caucuses and featured speakers from local and national law enforcement agencies, and the company that manufactures Kevlar, DuPont.

“Our brave police officers put their lives in harm’s way day-in and day-out to protect our communities, the least we can do is provide them with the proper safety gear to help minimize work related injuries,” Senator Coons said. “It is important that we facilitate opportunities for the study of best practices and latest developments in the field to better educate those who are advocating on behalf of our first responders. During my time in county government, I worked closely with our local law enforcement agencies to ensure they had adequate resources to protect themselves while patrolling our streets.  I pledge to continue to fight for the safety of those who risk so much to protect our families.”

Safety issues that were addressed during the briefing include the scientific testing process for body armor, body armor wear rates and special-fit issues for body armor worn by women,  and efforts to minimize the risks of backface signature injuries.

Held during National Police Week, Tuesday’s briefing highlighted the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 2012, which will be voted-on by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. Senator Coons is an original cosponsor of this legislation, which provides funding to state and local law enforcement agencies to assist in their purchasing of ballistic-resistant and stab-resistant body armor through competitive grants from the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Since the Bulletproof Vest Partnership program’s first authorization in 1999, it has reimbursed grantees approximately $247 million for their purchases of nearly 1 million vests. In 2010, the BVP program provided local police departments in Delaware with $120,000 for assistance in purchasing 502 vests. In 2009, the BVP program provided Delaware police departments with $94,000 for 588 vests.

In addition to Senator Coons, the event was co-hosted by Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Representative Dave Reichert (R-WA-8), and Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-8). Senator Coons delivered keynote remarks followed by Chief Jeffrey Horvath, Lewes, Delaware, Police Department and Chairman of the Delaware Police Chefs Council; Retired Chief Ron McBride, IACP/DuPont Kevlar Survivors’ Club; Stephanie Garlock, National Sheriffs’ Association; and Jeff Fackler, DuPont Protection Technology.

The Senate Law Enforcement Caucus and the House Law Enforcement Caucus educate and inform Members and staff about the policies, programs, and initiatives that enhance public safety and strengthen our criminal justice system. In the midst of shrinking budgets, law enforcement agencies all across the country continue to work tirelessly to keep our communities and families safe. 

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