ELIZABETH CITY, N.C.
A federal grant will help buy 12 new bulletproof vests for the Elizabeth City Police Department, an agency that has never lost an officer to gun fire.
Bulletproof vests have saved hundreds of officers since the 1970s and have become standard police equipment, thanks largely to grants.
Even in a small department like Elizabeth City's, officers face the potential danger of gun fire.
"It can always be the next time," said police Chief Charles Crudup.
Vests are recommended during the day and required on night duty.
Thanks to the U.S. Department of Justice grants, Elizabeth City officers get new vests every five years, Crudup said. Time, heat and moisture diminish their effectiveness.
Elizabeth City's last homicide happened in 2007, when a man was shot on Speed Street. About 50 shootings occurred last year, mostly between rival gangs.
Over the years, Elizabeth City police officers have been fired on, but never seriously hurt.
"We've been mighty fortunate," said Capt. Olie Leary, a detective with the Pasquotank County Sheriff's Office.
Leary retired in 1996 after 30 years on the Elizabeth City Police Department. They had no bulletproof vests when he started in 1966.
Local police bought the first set of bullet proof vests in 1988 with money received from a drug arrest, Leary said.
Bulletproof vests saved 2,500 officers between 1973 and 2001, according to a study by the Police Executive Research Forum that cites FBI statistics. In 1987, only 28 percent of law enforcement agencies had vests available. Now 99 percent have them, according to the study.
Since 1999, annual grants from the Department of Justice have been awarded to 11,900 jurisdictions, totaling $173 million, to buy 450,000 vests.
Elizabeth City police, a department of 60 sworn officers, received grants in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2008 and this year, totaling $33,255, to purchase 118 vests. Multiple grants have also gone to Dare, Currituck, Camden and Pasquotank counties, buying 362 vests with $103,442.
Among those agencies, two officers have been killed by gunfire, a Currituck County deputy in 1963 and a Camden County deputy in 1966, according to news reports and online lists.
Elizabeth City must match the $6,919 DOJ grant. Rated by the National Institute of Justice, 10 of the new vests stop pistol rounds, and two also stop rifle bullets, said Deneen Jackson, property manager for Elizabeth City Police.
Vests are not foolproof. Of 521 officers killed from 1997 to 2006 nationwide, 306 had on body armor, the PERF study said. Of those, 103 were killed by bullets that entered unprotected areas of the torso or penetrated vests not rated for high-powered rounds.
In 2008, 35 officers were killed by gun fire, according to the FBI. Twenty-nine were wearing body armor. In 2007, 55 officers were shot and killed, with 36 wearing body armor.
Jeff Hampton, (252) 338-0159, jeff.hampton@pilotonline.com
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Amazing...
Wow, so it actually is possible for an article to be written about something the government does without resulting in 200 negative comments. Color me shocked.
Vests
Officers actually need better vests than what they are given. Considering the type of weapons that are on the street now. I only have on thing to say though, If you are in uniform you need to have a vest on. Your family deserves to have you come home at the end of the day. Don't take the risk because you are hot or it is not busy that day. Things change in an instant. WEAR THE VEST IT MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE AND A FELLOW OFFICERS LIFE SINCE YOU WILL STILL BE IN THE FIGHT.