Fossella Fights White House Proposal to Slash Funding for Bulletproof Vest Program

Administration Proposes Cutting Life-Saving Program by 67% in FY 2007

[Washington, DC] – Declaring that a Bush Administration budget proposal could deny New York City funding to help pay for as many as 1,000 new bulletproof vests for police officers, Congressman Vito Fossella (R-NY13) today called for fully funding the program to ensure law enforcement has the tools needed to protect themselves.

 Fossella is stepping up the fight against the Administration’s proposal to slash the Department of Justice’s Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) Grant Program by $19.8 million, or 67% for Fiscal Year 2007.

 Fossella said the cut could cost New York City as much as $533,000 in funding over two years based on previous allocations from the Department of Justice’s Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) Grant Program. Between 2004 and 2005, New York City received $800,000 in federal funding, which represents about 10% of the $1.041 million the City spent on new vests during that time. New York City purchases approximately 7,700 new vests annually.

 “It’s outrageous to slash funding for a program that helps save the lives of police officers every day,” Fossella said. “Cutting funding for this program would limit New York’s ability to purchase new vests for the NYPD. That makes no sense considering our police officers are already facing the massive challenge of protecting the city from terrorism while still recording record reductions in crime. This program helps ensure that police officers have the right tools and resources to do their job and keep themselves safe. The Administration should not be trying to cut it and Congress should absolutely not comply.”

 In a letter to Chairman Frank Wolf and Ranking Member Alan Mollohan, of the Subcommittee on Science, State and Justice, Fossella joined with other lawmakers in calling for fully funding the program at $50 million. Fossella said demand for funding has jumped in the wake of a Justice Department study which found that Zylon-based bulletproof vests fail to provide the intended level of ballistic protection. An estimated 200,000 of these vests have been purchased nationwide in recent years. 

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