Fiscal Note
This program will be administered in a manner similar to the handgun and rifle purchase program. The City will fund the purchase of the body armor through the General Fund and will be reimbursed by the participating commissioned employees through payroll deductions. The initial purchase is estimated at $50,000. There is sufficient funding in the General Fund balance for this loan program.
Title
Establishing a voluntary program that would allow commissioned employees to voluntarily purchase heavy body armor (capable of stopping rifle rounds) for on-duty use, utilize the department's bulk purchasing power to order the body armor, and establish a repayment mechanism by which the cost of the heavy body armor would be recovered through deductions taken from the employee's paycheck.
Body
WHEREAS, while the City currently assists in the purchase of soft body armor for commissioned employees, this equipment does not provide protection against rifle ammunition; and
WHEREAS, law enforcement officers across the nation are more frequently being assaulted with firearms, including rifles. Annual officer fatalities nationally increased 46% from 2009 to 2011; and
WHEREAS, the Madison Police Department continues to investigate violent crimes involving rifles that surpass the protective capability of traditional soft body armor; and
WHERAS, a number of Madison Police Department officers have expressed an interest in purchasing heavy body armor, offering protection against rifle ammunition, at their own cost; and
WHEREAS, the Department wishes to facilitate the efforts of officers to enhance their safety, and this voluntary heavy body armor purchase option will improve the safety of Madison Police Officers;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that a voluntary heavy body armor purchase program is established to allow commissioned employees an opportunity to voluntarily purchase department-approved heavy body armor for on-duty use; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department will purchase the heavy body armor through its bulk purchasing authority and recover the cost of the body armor through deductions taken from the employee's paycheck. The Department may offer this voluntary purchase program to officers on an annual basis.