SEYMOUR -- All police officers are now required to wear protective bulletproof vests under a change approved by the Board of Police Commissioners.
The commission, in a meeting last week, unanimously voted to change language in the policy, saying that officers "shall" wear bulletproof vests. Previously, the policy said the vests "may" be worn.
According to police Lt. Paul Satkowski, the majority of the department's officers have vests. There are 43 officers on the force, and Satkowski said "over 30 officers have them," and all have been given the opportunity to have a vest.
However, even if most of the officers have vests, First Selectman Paul Roy said he was concerned to learn that some of the vests, were purchased in 1993.
"A lot of these vests are old, and we need to replace them," Roy said. "There is a grant, and these officers can get the vests they need. This is for the safety and the well-being of the officers."
Roy said the town was previously approved for a federal grant to buy new vests, but he was "disturbed" to learn that the vests were not purchased. Roy said the money is available in the community police fund.
However, according to Chief Michael Metzler, there was a stipulation in the grant that uniformed officers had to wear the vests.
When Roy brought the issue to the commission last week, commissioners immediately added the item to their agenda, so they could take quick action, make the necessary language change and get the process rolling so the vests could finally be purchased.
"I feel as though we had to do something about this; we're dealing with a safety factor here," said Commissioner Frank Conroy.
Roy said the previously approved $12,000 grant should allow the town to buy about 12 vests this year.
The town will be reimbursed for half that cost.
Roy said time was of the essence to change the policy, or risk losing the grant. He plans to apply for another federal grant next month, which Roy said would enable the town to buy 12 vests next year.
Metzler said the current vests are not in bad shape, and most have 10-year life spans.
"The vests aren't all that bad," he said.
Police union officials, however, recently wrote a letter to Metzler, detailing several safety concerns, including vest replacement.
Union President Richard Sprandel and Vice President John D'Antona, in the letter, said, "The town failed to include in its budget life-saving ballistic vests. This results in our members having to wear old or expired ballistic vests.
"These are items that could prevent an 'in the line of duty death' in our town. Our members feel strongly that vests should have been purchased."
