Paducah police gear up with new body armor through state grant

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

PADUCAH, Ky., (KBSI) — The Paducah Police Department has received new officer safety equipment through a grant from the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office under the Body Armor Grant Program.

Officials said the department received Paraclete Level III body armor plates, United Shield plate carriers, Vanguard ballistic shields, Paraclete Operate Elite ballistic helmets, Paraclete PASGT ballistic helmets and soft body armor vests. The equipment will be used by patrol officers, school resource officers and the department’s SWAT team.

Police said the new equipment replaces aging gear and enhances the department’s ability to protect officers and the community while responding to incidents safely and effectively.

The department thanked the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office for its support and commitment to officer safety.

The Kentucky General Assembly created the $15 million grant program under the Office of the Attorney General’s Department of Criminal Investigations to help law enforcement agencies and first responders purchase body armor, duty weapons, ammunition, electronic control devices and body-worn cameras.