Clinton Wants Funds for Bulletproof Vests

Last week, President Clinton attended a service at the Capitol Hill memorial for murdered police officers and asked Congress to increase by twice as much the federal money for bulletproof vests for local police.

Passed into law two years ago and scheduled to expire in 2001, the program enables the Department of Justice to pay for as much as 50 percent of the expense of such vests for local police.

Last year, the government purchased 92,500 vests and still has $24 million, enough to purchase an additional 90,000 during the fiscal year that concludes Sept. 30. Clinton supports as well a congressional proposal to lengthen the vest program from 2002 to 2004, and to double financing to $150 million from $75 million during that time.

Source:NCLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary.