City Announces $7.5-Million Investment In Protective Equipment For NYPD Officers
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton announced drastic new measures Monday, designed to keep NYPD officers safe as they protect the community.
As CBS2's Jessica Moore reported, they made the announcement at the 84th precinct in Brooklyn -- home off officers Liu and Ramos who were gunned down in December 2014, in the kind of attack that police and city leaders hope the new equipment will prevent.
Perhaps no one understands the risk police officers routinely face better than Sgt. Hamid Armani.
On Wednesday morning in Times Square a man threw what looked like a bomb into an NYPD van.
Sgt. Armani and Officer Pete Cybulski risked their lives by driving the fake bomb a block and a half away from the crowd to protect bystanders from a possible blast.
"With absolutely no regard for their own lives and safety, they're first instinct was to protect others and we have to reward that with arming them with the best equipment to protect them," the mayor said.
The city announced that it spent $7.5-million on 20,000 new helmets and 6,000 new vests to protect officers against the growing threat of random attacks.
"These helmets have the same protection as the one that saved the officer's life during the shooting in Orlando last month. The vests are rated a step higher than the bullet proof vests our cops already wear under their uniforms," NYPD Chief of Police, James O'Neill said.
It will take a while for the manufacturer to make enough vests and helmets to outfit the more than 35,000 NYPD officers, but the department has already equipped patrol vehicles with ballistic doors, new tasers, smartphones, and iPads.
"You name it, we're buying it. There's not a department in America who's spending as much money, as much thought in the interest of officer safety," Bratton said.
Not everyone was happy with the announcement.
"The ballistic vests and helmets in patrol cars can provide immediate protection for police officers, but without long rifles to counter the immediate threat of the shooter, the officers and the public they are sworn to protect will remain in great danger," PBA head Pat Lynch said.
The new vests and helmets are expected to be in use by September. Commissioner Bratton also announced 2,000 new officers would be joining the force by the end of the year.