APD officers to get new vests, helmets for $1.9 million price tag

Atlanta police officers will soon have about $1.9 million in new tactical body armor, including bulletproof vests and helmets.
The City of Atlanta will allocate more than $900,000 and the Georgia Power Foundation will make a matching donation of $900,000 to complete the purchase, Mayor Kasim Reed announced in a news release.
“Following the tragic events in Dallas, Texas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, I called on our city’s business and civic leaders to contribute to the purchase of this essential, potentially life-saving equipment,” said Mayor Reed in the news release.
Officers in the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department and the Department of Corrections will also receive helmets and vests.
The funding will enable APD to provide helmets and vests to its beat officers for the first time in Department history, according to the news release.
Equipment for officers in two zones has arrived and will be distributed within the next two weeks. Equipment for the remaining four zones will be delivered and distributed by the end of the year.