New York Daily News – by KERRY BURKE , BARRY PADDOCK
Mayor de Blasio put his money where his mouth is Friday, rushing through the purchase of 13,000 new state-of-the-art bullet-resistant vests.
Two weeks ago, the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association hand-delivered a letter to City Hall demanding de Blasio buy the vests without delay.
De Blasio joined Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito at the 34th Precinct stationhouse in Washington Heights to announce the city would budget $7.3 million dollars for the vests — and start handing them out in May.
“Two weeks after the issue was raised by the unions, the mayor and the Council responded,” Bratton said Friday. “When in government does anything happen that quickly? Not in my recollection.”
MICHAEL SCHWARTZ FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWSThe vests offer wraparound protection many of the current vests lack and are 25% to 30% lighter.A spokeswoman for the city’s office of management and budget vowed two weeks ago that money for the vests would be included in the preliminary 2015 budget, as de Blasio announced Friday.
The new vests, which cost about $700 each, boast a ceramic chest plate designed to withstand knife thrusts and rifle shots. They offer wraparound protection many of the current vests lack and are 25% to 30% lighter.
“These new vests will make a big difference,” de Blasio said.
DAVID HANDSCHUHTwo weeks ago, the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association hand-delivered a letter to City Hall demanding de Blasio buy the vests without delay.“A single vest can save a life and make sure a family doesn’t have to go through the unspeakable pain of losing a loved one.”
De Blasio has been desperate to make peace with police since hundreds of cops turned their backs on him at the funerals for Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, who were assassinated in Brooklyn on Dec. 20.
Patrick Lynch, the PBA’s firebrand leader, infamously accused the mayor of having blood on his hands in the wake of the officers’ deaths. Lynch was furious de Blasio had expressed sympathy for protesters.
MICHAEL SCHWARTZ FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWSDe Blasio joined Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito at the 34th Precinct stationhouse in Washington Heights to announce the city would budget $7.3 million dollars for the vests.But Lynch’s battle with the mayor proved controversial, with some delegates accusing Lynch of losing focus on cops’ day-to-day concerns, including the need for new vests. PBA delegate Brian Fusco announced plans to try to unseat Lynch in June’s union election.
“We are thrilled that the issue is resolved,” Fusco said of the vests. “We will continue to fight for police officers on the issues that impact their safety.”
Lynch did not attend the mayor’s announcement Friday.
DEMETRIUS FREEMAN/MAYORAL PHOTOGRAPHY OFFICEThe vests are expected to be handed out in May.“We are grateful that the mayor and (City Council) speaker heard our urgent call to purchase the vests immediately,” Lynch said in a statement.
“We hope this represents the first of many actions that demonstrate City Hall’s true support for New York City police officers.”
All of the 21,900 vests currently out of their five-year warranty will eventually be replaced, starting with the 6,400 vests that are more than a decade old, Bratton said.
De Blasio vowed that in the future, vests will be replaced as soon as their warranties expire.
According to an NYPD analysis, vests have saved 87 officers’ lives since 1978.
“Mayor de Blasio put his money…”
‘His’ money?
“The new vests, which cost about $700 each, boast a ceramic chest plate designed to withstand knife thrusts and rifle shots. They offer wraparound protection many of the current vests lack and are 25% to 30% lighter.”
Nice!
Those will make great barter items.
My Fellow Americans:
I guess Mayor Decommio is expecting cops to need these,… REAL SOON>
Gee,.. I wonder why?
JD – US Marines – The commies are clearly getting ready for the dance music to start,…. Just make it a head shot.
.
Naw, JD, it’s just a ‘peace offering’, see?
“De Blasio has been desperate to make peace with police since hundreds of cops turned their backs on him at the funerals for Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, who were assassinated in Brooklyn on Dec. 20.”
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/02/06/back-in-their-good-graces-de-blasio-orders-high-end-bulletproof-vests-for-nypd/
http://observer.com/2015/02/bill-de-blasio-signs-law-to-name-streets-for-slain-nypd-officers/
“The mayor made it a point to show the cops that the city acted quickly once it discovered the vests were outliving their five-year warranty.”
Think it worked?
“Although all the police union heads were invited to Friday’s press conference, only Detectives Endowment Association president Michael Palladino showed up.”
Might have to offer free Krispy Kreme (well, not ‘free’, paid for by the city) to get back in their good graces.
Did you read the link about re-naming Streets?
Nope.
Here it is again, #1:
http://observer.com/2015/02/bill-de-blasio-signs-law-to-name-streets-for-slain-nypd-officers/
“… we honor people who have done so much for the city, and there are many forms of service and sacrifice—none greater than when our men and women in uniform pay the ultimate price, make the ultimate sacrifice to protect others,” Mr. de Blasio said.”
He said that with a straight face?
Brown-nosing.
“A street was also named after Jack Maple, the legendary architect of the NYPD’s CompStat program unveiled during Mr. Bratton’s first stint as commissioner in the 1990s.”
i wonder what the ceramics will do if hit by a tungsten-carbide or carbon-steel tipped bullet???
there is a tool for every job!
Well that’s it then….all we have to do is to pretend to be pissed off at De Blasio, then send him a strongly worded email and we should all get free bullet resistant vests right? ….right?
Anyone so stupid as to not be able to see that law enforcement across the board is preparing for war on the streets of ameriKa need to remove their heads from the rear location they currently have them in!
I’ve noticed a trend with things, I say they are going to buy a shit load to outfit all of them and then deem them illegal and that way they will already have them before companies refuse to sell them to them.
But are they hollow point resistant?
“bullet resistant” does not bullet proof. Hey NC, I think hollow points would be stopped easier than a full metal jacket.
In any case, that leaves legs, feet, arms and head as vulnerable.
There’s always a vulnerability. 😉
I cant wait till they have them so suited up they cant move,, than all that needs to be done is to push them over
they can be like a slinky..not much fun until you push em down a flight of stairs
oh and now that they are made for the cops, we can have them too, its our money that paid for these