During the 85th Legislative Session, Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 12, authored by Sen. Royce West and Rep. Phil King, which created funding for the Rifle-Resistant Body Armor Grant Program to provide personal body armor to law enforcement agencies throughout Texas.
In August 2017, the Office of the Governor, Criminal Justice Division awarded the San Angelo Police Department $98,938 of the dedicated funds which facilitated the purchase of level IV rifle-resistant hard armor plates and carriers for all sworn San Angelo Police Officers. The vests were recently received and distributed.
With the nationwide increase in active shooter events and officer ambushes, these level IV vests will provide a level of protection that previously issued vests do not offer.
"The job of our law enforcement community is becoming more difficult as the threats our officers face continue to increase. The State of Texas will not sit idly by and tolerate these actions against officers who are simply doing their job to uphold the law and protect the people of Texas. That is why I’m proud to present these grants to Police Departments across Texas so they can equip their officers with the life-saving equipment they deserve." — Governor Abbott
The $23 million Rifle-Resistant Body Armor Grants were awarded to 453 jurisdictions around the state.
To view a full breakdown of cities and jurisdictions that will receive grants visit https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/organization/criminal-justice/Rifle_Resistant_Fundplan_01092018.pdf
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