House Judiciary Committee approves bulletproof vest reauthorization
The House Judiciary Committee approved the Bullet-proof Vest Partnership( BVP) Grant Program sponsored by Representative Frank LoBiondo( R-New Jersey) and Senator Patrick Leahy( D-Vermont).
The BVP Grant Program has issued more than one million lifesaving vests to 13,000 state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the country since it was established in 1999. While many officers are protected by bullet-resistant armor, an alarming number of officers are not afforded that protection due to local budget constraints, which is what makes the Program so vital.
The approval not only reauthorizes the BVP Program through 2020, but also strengthens the Program, overall. The BVP Program can provide matching grants only for body armor that meets the strict performance standard requirements set by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, a practice that ensures agencies are purchasing top quality vests.
Funding is prioritized for uniquely fitted vests for female officers, a move that will help save lives, as unisex vests do not always fit female officers properly. This prioritizing will make BVP the only purchasing program within the Departments of Justice and Defense of Homeland Security that gives female officers the ability to buy vests that fit their bodies.
Fallen Heroes Flag Act �asses Senate
On April 19, the Fallen Heroes Flag Act passed the Senate by unanimous consent. This bill, sponsored by Senator Roy Blunt( R-Missouri), would allow members of Congress to honor a deceased public safety officer who died in the line of duty by providing to the family, at their request, a Capitol-flown flag. The flag would be accompanied by a certificate expressing a message of sympathy signed by either the Speaker of the House or Senate Majority Leader and the Senator or Representative providing the flag.
The Fallen Heroes Flag Act, sponsored by Representative Peter King( R-New York), originally passed the House in May 2015, but the bill had to be amended in the Senate to accommodate senators who wanted to participate in the program. The bill now has been sent back to the House for the final vote of approval.
NAPO participates in White House open police data meeting
NAPO participated in a meeting hosted by the Office of the Vice President and the White House Office of Violence Against Women on open police data and ensuring the safety and security of victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Law enforcement organizations, domestic violence and sexual assault victims’ advocates and state and local technology experts explored how data can be shared in a way that minimizes re-identification of victims.
The White House Police Data Initiative emerged from a recommendation of the Task Force on 21st Century Policing in May 2015, after 52 police departments across the U. S. committed to use data to increase transparency and accountability. By opening up police data to the public, the Initiative will improve understanding of policing, enhance community trust in the police and dispel myths and highlight the realities of community policing.
NAPO raises concerns that the data must be non-identifiable not only for victims of crime, but also for officers. Once the data is out for public consumption, agencies must be certain that they are not exposing anyone to increased safety risk. �
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NEW JERSEY COPS ■ MAY 2016