June 26, 2023 |
Photo – Saratoga Police Department – Bigfoot99 file photo
Saratoga police will receive new body armor.
During last week’s Saratoga town council meeting, Police Chief Mike Morris asked the council to approve a resolution allowing him to submit a grant application. The grant is through the Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership. Chief Morris said the body armor grant is the same one the town has used previously.
Chief Morris said he would like to purchase two bulletproof vests. The chief said the vests typically cost around $1,500 each.
Chief Morris said the grant will not pay for the entirety of the body armor purchase. The chief said the grant amount will be determined only after the vests are bought. Chief Morris said his department has enough money set aside to buy the armor outright, if necessary.
Last August, then police chief Ken Lehr, asked the council to allow him to apply for the same grant. The council denied his request because the police department lacked funding to pay for the body armor. In the end, Saratoga Hot Springs Resort owner Dr. Michael Janssen stepped in and bought the vests for the department.
Wanting to assure that the same incident wouldn’t occur, Mayor Chuck Davis asked Chief Morris if he could purchase the armor even without the grant. The chief said he had double the required amount left in his budget.
The council voted to approve the chief’s resolution authorizing him to submit the grant application. Chief Morris said he plans to request rifle plates for his officers at a future town council meeting. He said the plates are needed to protect against high-powered rifle rounds. The chief will return to the council once the final cost of the vest purchase is known.
