The City of Allen will purchase specialized gear to protect police officers from active shooters.
City council members approved the $75,000 expense during the Aug. 23 meeting. The new gear will include 100 steel vests and Kevlar helmets along with face shields, peacekeeper shields and batons.
“We have all seen the news, we’ve seen what’s going on in our nation right now,” said Matt Koehrsen, an Allen Police K-9 handler and vice president of the Allen Police Association. “I appreciate our department and our city being proactive in protecting our citizens and our officers.”
Allen Police chose to purchase vests with steel plates, versus ceramic plates, following extensive research. Steel plates were found to be more appropriate than ceramic for this particular law enforcement application.
Funding for the gear was already available in the Police Department’s 2016 operating budget. A cooperative purchasing agreement with the City of Frisco allowed for additional savings.