Crime & Safety
12 New Bulletproof Vests for City Police
The Hyattsville City Council unanimously approved a grant that will help the city buy 12 new bulletproof vests.
The Hyattsville City Council unanimously approved the proposed Justice Assistance Bulletproof Vest Partnership grant last Tuesday night, helping the police department buy 12 bulletproof vests.
The grant comes in an award of $5,140 and will be appropriated into the FY13 Special Revenue Fund, thus replacing the body armor. According to the Office of Justice Programs website, the bulletproof vest partnership (BVP), created by the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1998, is a U.S. Department of Justice initiative designed to provide a critical resource to state and local law enforcement.
According to the 2011 annual Hyattsville crime report, five commercial robberies were committed with firearms, compared to six in 2010. There were six assaults involving guns in 2011 and 33 citizen robberies involving guns, according to the crime report.
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The last Hyattsville city police officer involved shooting happened in September 2009 in the 6500 block of Belcrest Road, according to Sgt. Chris Purvis, public information officer with the Hyattsville City Police Department.