Washingtonville chief to check prices on new body armor
WASHINGTONVILLE — Police Chief Ken Faust said he will check on prices for body armor after advising council of a state program last month offering up to $40,000 with a 25-percent match from the village.
“It’s expensive,” Faust said, adding, “everyone’s on the department is outdated.”
Studies show it costs about $125 annually to provide an officer with body armor.
The department has about six or seven officers. Typical individual body armor vests range in price from $200 to over $900.
The money, from the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Safety Intervention Grant Program, can go to private and public employers to purchase equipment to reduce or eliminate injuries and illness associated with a particular task or operation.
In a prepared release last month, the BWC said, “A portion of the Safety Intervention Grant Program funds will be used to fund the new Ohio Law Enforcement Body Armor Program, enabling local law enforcement agencies to receive up to $40,000 per agency to purchase body armor vests with a local match of 25 percent.”
Body armor has an expiration date, according to the activeresponsetraining.net website.
“Most soft body armor has an expiration date of approximately five years after its manufacture,” it said, adding, “the armor will slowly lose some of its protective abilities over time, but it won’t suddenly ‘go bad’ at the magical five year mark.”
Faust said he would check on prices.
He also advised council that background checks he performed regarding liquor licenses purchased by 241 E. State St., LLC, for property at 205 E. Main St., the address for the former End Zone Sports Bar/Drive Thru, “did not find anything on the two gentlemen.”
Rodney W. Herron and Korey W. Herron of Salem are the incorporators of 241 E. State St., LLC, according to Ohio secretary of state business filings, with Rodney Herron listed as the statutory agent for the company.
Three licenses, D-1, D-2, and D-3 for beer on the premises, wine and mixed drinks, and liquor were kept at the location of the End Zone, which was closed.
Mayor Herman Frank said, “It’s the same type of license the End Zone had.”
The village is only allowed one location to hold liquor licenses by population and council approved a motion to not object to the licenses by a 6-0 vote.
In other business, Faust asked council to consider installing steps so records kept in a ceiling storage area could be more easily accessed.
The records are in boxes that are difficult to move from the overhead storage.
Mayor Herman Frank asked him to measure it and Faust said he would check around to find something that did not exceed $750.
lshields@salemnews.net