After a four-year lapse in funding, a grant program that assists state and local law enforcement agencies in purchasing body armor was reauthorized on Monday.
The legislation provides $25 million per year through 2020 for the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant program, allows the Department of Justicr to award matching grants to law enforcement agencies to purchase or upgrade their ballistic vests, according to The Washington Times.
The program -- halted in 2012 after the last authorization bill expired -- has helped outfit officers with more than 1.2 million pieces of body armor since it was established in 1999.
"Our nation has a responsibility to support those who serve and protect us and keep our streets safe," President Barack Obama said during a Medal of Valor ceremony for law enforcement officers, shortly after he signed the reauthorization bill.
Reauthorization comes as law enforcement officials are becoming increasingly alarmed with a rise in gun-related deaths of officers. As of Monday, 18 of the 36 line of duty deaths recorded by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund this year were firearm-related. That's a 38 percent increase over the same time last year.
The Fraternal Order of Police lobbied for reauthorization of the program and credits the vest for saving the lives more than 3,100 officers since officials began keeping track of "saves" data.
"Six officers have had their lives saved since mid-October thanks to the (bulletproof vest program)," FOP President Chuck Canterbury said in a statement released last week. "How many programs can quantify their success so starkly?"
