The Kenai City Council enacted an ordinance increasing estimated revenues and appropriations in the FY22 Budget and accepting grants from the United States Department of Justice and Alaska Municipal League Joint Insurance Association for the purchase of ballistic vests. The Kenai Police Department participates in a Ballistic Vest Partnership grant program through the Department of Justice, which covers 50% of the cost of ballistic vests purchased for officers.
The city’s current insurance company, the Alaska Municipal League Joint Insurance Association, also has a ballistic vest reimbursement program, which covers 50% of the cost of ballistic vests purchased for officers. Two of them recently were purchased for a total of $2,252 and the two programs together will cover 100% of the cost of the ballistic vests.
The program is an initiative through the U.S. Department of Justice designed to provide a critical resource to state and local law enforcement. Since 1999, the program has awarded more than 13,000 jurisdictions a total of $548 million in federal funds for the purchase of over one million vests.
The ordinance was enacted unanimously.
