James City County police officers will be equipped with new bulletproof vests for another year, thanks to funding from a federal grant.
The JCC Police Department received a grant from the Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance valued at $16,905.60. The award is a matching grant with half the funds coming from James City County.
Police spokeswoman Stephanie Williams said the bulletproof vests are custom-made for each officer and have a five-year lifespan. About 20 vests can be bought with the grant funds and the department can buy vests until the grant expires in August 2017, she said.
“With the vests having to be replaced every five years, it is a constant expense to us,” Williams said. “When we’re able to get grant funds to cover 50 percent of the purchase of each of their vests, that’s certainly a huge help.”
Williams said the department has received the grant for more than a decade.
