My 'More Bulletproof Vests for Utah Peace Officers' Letter Today to Utah DPS Public Information Officer Sgt. Cameron Roden

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: "John McMillan" <mcmillanj@att.net>

To: "Cameron Roden" <croden@utah.gov>, "Utah Chiefs of Police Assn 2021" <vshupe@utahchiefs.org>, "chad.atkinson" <chad.atkinson@slcgov.com>, "leo.abila" <leo.abila@slcgov.com>, "Mayor Wilson" <mayor@slco.org>, "Adult Protective UT Supvr Chad Hansen" <cbhanse@utah.gov>, "cody.schlottmann@mail.house.gov" <cody.schlottmann@mail.house.gov>, "cody.schlottmann@mail.house.gov" <cody.schlottmann@mail.house.gov>, "State Rep. Angela Romero" <angelaromero@le.utah.gov>, "mballard@le.utah.gov" <mballard@le.utah.gov>, "Gay Lynn Bennion" <glbennion@le.utah.gov>, "Paul A. Cutler" <pcutler@le.utah.gov>, "Brett Garner" <bgarner@le.utah.gov>, "Carl Albrecht" <carlalbrecht@le.utah.gov>, "Utah Restaurant Association 2022" <info@utahrestaurantassociation.org>, "uhlaevents@gmail.com" <uhlaevents@gmail.com>, "laborcom@utah.gov" <laborcom@utah.gov>, "leo.abila" <leo.abila@slcgov.com>, "chad.atkinson" <chad.atkinson@slcgov.com>, "leo.abila" <leo.abila@slcgov.com>, "Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall 2021" <mayor@slcgov.com>, "County Council Member Bradshaw" <arbradshaw@slco.org>, "suharrison@slco.org" <suharrison@slco.org>, "llstringham@slco.org" <llstringham@slco.org>, "Internships" <internships@romney.senate.gov>, "Mike Schultz" <mikeschultz@le.utah.gov>, "Joel_wellum" <joel_wellum@lee.senate.gov>, "Utah Apartment Association 2022" <info@uaahq.org>, "Adult Protective UT Supvr Chad Hansen" <cbhanse@utah.gov>, "Utah Safety Council" <safety@utahsafetycouncil.org>, "safeu@utah.edu" <safeu@utah.edu>, "Him-roi" <him-roi@umail.utah.edu>, "contactus@imail.org" <contactus@imail.org>, "Salt Lake City (UT) City Council" <council.comments@slcgov.com>, "Mark A. Strong" <mstrong@le.utah.gov>, "Kirk Cullimore" <kcullimore@le.utah.gov>, "ryanwilcox@le.utah.gov" <ryanwilcox@le.utah.gov>, "mgwynn@le.utah.gov" <mgwynn@le.utah.gov>, "jburton@le.utah.gov" <jburton@le.utah.gov>, "Joel Briscoe" <jbriscoe@le.utah.gov>, "Jplumb" <jplumb@le.utah.gov>, "Katy Hall" <khall@le.utah.gov>, "shayes@le.utah.gov" <shayes@le.utah.gov>, "shollins@le.utah.gov" <shollins@le.utah.gov>, "tlee@le.utah.gov" <tlee@le.utah.gov>, "karilisonbee@le.utah.gov" <karilisonbee@le.utah.gov>, "vpeterson@le.utah.gov" <vpeterson@le.utah.gov>, "astoddard@le.utah.gov" <astoddard@le.utah.gov>, "swhyte@le.utah.gov" <swhyte@le.utah.gov>, "tweiler@le.utah.gov" <tweiler@le.utah.gov>, "lescamilla@le.utah.gov" <lescamilla@le.utah.gov>, "mkennedy@le.utah.gov" <mkennedy@le.utah.gov>, "Jerry Stevenson" <jwstevenson@le.utah.gov>, "dthatcher@le.utah.gov" <dthatcher@le.utah.gov>, "Utah Republican Party" <info@utgop.org>, "State Rep. Jen Dailey-Provost" <jdprovost@le.utah.gov>, "mayor@murray.utah.gov" <mayor@murray.utah.gov>, "kharris@bountiful.gov" <kharris@bountiful.gov>, "Attorney General of Utah" <uag@utah.gov>, "Utah Citizens Against Physical and Sexual Abuse 2021" <info@capsa.org>, "Uag" <uag@agutah.gov>, "University of Utah Student Newspaper 2022" <press@chronicle.utah.edu>, "Fox News SLC 2022" <news@fox13now.com>, "news@ksl.com" <news@ksl.com>, "nbauer@abc4.com" <nbauer@abc4.com>, "Jennifer Gardiner" <jgardiner@abc4.com>, "jsweeney@sltrib.com" <jsweeney@sltrib.com>, "Deseret News 2022" <dnweb@deseretnews.com>, "newsmedia@ldschurch.org" <newsmedia@ldschurch.org>, "Molly Sween" <mollysween@weber.edu>, "lish.harris@utahtech.edu" <lish.harris@utahtech.edu>, "stephanie.hoffman@slcc.edu" <stephanie.hoffman@slcc.edu>, "Univ of Utah Criminology Dir. Heather Melton" <heather.melton@soc.utah.edu>, "mediarelations@weber.edu" <mediarelations@weber.edu>, "amy.stutzenberger@uvu.edu" <amy.stutzenberger@uvu.edu>, "ryan.vogel@uvu.edu" <ryan.vogel@uvu.edu>, "annika.k.christensen@usu.edu" <annika.k.christensen@usu.edu>, "communications@utahbar.org" <communications@utahbar.org>, "City Weekly (SLC UT) 2022" <comments@cityweekly.net>, "Utah Transit Authority" <llasker@rideuta.com>, "Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson 2021" <beckiepage@utah.gov>, "membership@utahretail.com" <membership@utahretail.com>, "Utah Peace Officers Association 2022" <homeupoa@gmail.com>, "jessanderson@utah.gov" <jessanderson@utah.gov>, "jessica.abbott@utahtech.edu" <jessica.abbott@utahtech.edu>, "Schools Utah Webmaster" <webmaster@schools.utah.gov>, "Ulct Info" <info@ulct.org>, "Mike Weichers" <mweichers@ch.utah.gov>, "Rori Andreason" <randreason@midvale.com>, "Utah State University Provost 2022" <provost@usu.edu>, "Office of Gov. Spencer Cox" <govcomm@utah.gov>, "auditor@slco.org" <auditor@slco.org>, "auditor@utah.gov" <auditor@utah.gov>, "byu-info@byu.edu" <byu-info@byu.edu>, "sociology@byu.edu" <sociology@byu.edu>

Sent: Sun, Apr 21, 2024 at 9:45 PM

Subject: re: Feds pay up to half on bulletproof vests if locals apply for it

April 21, 2024

Dear Utah Department of Public Safety Public Information Officer Sgt. Cameron Roden,

Best Wishes to you and your other noble public safety-focused colleagues here in Utah.

Do you know which State of Utah agency maintains records on applications for federal funding that have been  submitted on behalf of  respective  police departments, sheriff's offices, or state agencies  in Utah when they seek to purchase new bulletproof vests for their  respective local or state law-enforcement officers?

Is that state agency your Utah Department of Public Safety, the Attorney General of Utah, the Governor of Utah, the Utah Labor Commission, the Utah Legislature, the  State Comptroller of Utah, or some other state agency of Utah?

Also, has the applicable State of Utah coordinating agency this year contacted each of the applicable local and state-government agencies of Utah and informed them in writing  that the U.S. Government in April 2024 began accepting applications (see further below for more details) for new grants toward purchase of new bulletproof vests for peace officers here in Utah?

Sgt. Roden, I am also attempting to verify that each of the local or state law-enforcement agencies of Utah that in 2024 or 2023 identified a need for one or more new bulletproof vests for their own law-enforcement agency's officers did apply to the U.S. Justice Department  for defrayment of up to one-half of the vest-purchase expense incurred by  the applicable city or county or state agency.

I am concerned about the possibility that some city governments or county governments or state agencies of Utah in calendar year 2023 or 2024 may have  failed to get official approval from the U.S. Justice Department for federal funding to defray up to one-half of the financial  expenses incurred by that local or state government agency  on purchase of new bulletproof vests for their certified peace officers.

A key statement from the copyrighted U.S. Government website below:

"The Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) reimburses states, units of local government, and federally recognized Indian tribes, for up to 50 percent of the cost of body armor vests purchased for law enforcement officers.

"Since 1999, over 13,000 jurisdictions have participated in the BVP Program, with a total of $573 million in federal funds for the purchase of over 1.5 million body armor vests.

"Funding

"The annual BVP application period typically begins in April and closes six weeks from the opening date. 

"NEW: The fiscal year 2023 BVP awards have been announced. See the complete list of FY 2023 BVP awards. See Award History by Jurisdiction for detailed award history."

https://ojp.gov/program/bulletproof-vest-partnership/overview

Sgt. Roden, thank you in advance for your helpful reply letter to me on this very important safety issue for on-duty  law enforcement officers in our state. 

Sincerely and Best Wishes,

permanently alcohol-free, lifelong-tobacco-free, single adult white Anglo-Saxon male former Texas DPS full-time employee and current gainfully employed permanent  Utah resident John Kevin McMillan, 535 South 200 East, Apt. 912,  Ninth Floor, Salt Lake City, UT 84111.

My cell phone number: (512) 993-7305.

My home phone: (801) 355-0850.