Connecticut Congressional Delegation Announces Federal Funds to Purchase 769 Bulletproof Vests in 41 Towns

(Hartford, CT) – U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and U.S. Reps. John Larson (D-1), Joe Courtney (D-2), Rosa DeLauro (D-3), Jim Himes (D-4), and Elizabeth Esty (D-5) announced today that the U.S. Department of Justice has awarded $289,000 to 41 Connecticut cities and towns to purchase 769 bulletproof vests.

Since its inception in 1999, the Bulletproof Vest Partnership program of the Department of Justice has awarded over $393 million in federal funds to local municipalities nationwide, helping to purchase more than one million life-saving bulletproof vests.

“Our police officers put their lives on the line every day to protect ours, routinely responding to violent, dangerous encounters in brave service to their communities. Bulletproof vests are a life-saving line of defense that should be available to all law enforcement officers. Funding should never be a barrier to keeping our first responders safe, and we applaud the Justice Department for their longstanding investment in the safety of our police officers,” the delegation said.

Towns receiving funding include Avon, Bridgewater, Bristol, Canton, Coventry, Cromwell, Darien, Enfield, Glastonbury, Granby, Greenwich, Groton, Guilford, Hamden, Madison, Manchester, Meriden, Milford, Monroe, Naugatuck, Newington, North Haven, Norwalk, Norwich, Plymouth, Prospect, Redding, Seymour, Simsbury, South Windsor, Stonington, Stratford, Trumbull, Vernon, West Hartford, West Haven, Westport, Wilton, Windsor Locks, Wolcott and Woodbridge. 

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