Gentile pushed council to fund bulletproof vests for cops
Councilmember Vincent Gentile, who led a drive back in 2006 to secure funding to outfit 18,000 New York City cops with new bulletproof vests, praised a proposal announced last week by Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito to replace the vests with new ones.
Under the plan announced by Mark-Viverito, the city’s Fiscal Year 2016 budget would allocate $7.3 million to replace existing bulletproof vests for the NYPD at a cost of approximately $600 per vest. Fiscal year 2016 begins on July 1, 2015.
The funds will help ensure that the NYPD continues to have the most advanced and effective technology, according to Gentile, who is a supporter of Mayor Bill de Blasio and also has a reputation as a pro-cop elected official.
Gentile (D-Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights-Bensonhurst) led the charge nine years ago, successfully advocating for $12 million for new bulletproof vests, and was one of the lawmakers pushing the legislative body to take action now.
“New York City’s police force is unparalleled and we owe it to our officers to ensure they have the resources they need to stay safe as they protect New Yorkers,” said Gentile, who is also a former assistant district attorney.