Pittsburgh Police Instructed to Stop Asking for New Bulletproof Vests in Mass Email
Pittsburgh Police Instructed to Stop Asking for New Bulletproof Vests in Mass Email
Some officers say their request for a new vest has fallen on deaf ears, forcing them to wear an expired one.
By Bobby Harr
Pittsburgh Police officers received a mass email in early January instructing them to stop asking for new bulletproof vests. According to sources, as contracts with vendors are still yet to go through, some officers have been left to wear expired vests.
"I'm standing in front of an officer right now whose vest has expired since April 2023." said one source. "His vest was issued April 2018 and vests are good for five years."
Last month, City Council approved a five-year contract with Pittsburgh Public Safety Supply for new uniforms, while contracts for vests are still in the bidding process, according to Chief of Police Larry Scirotto.
"We don't make purchases during the bids unless it's an emergency," he said.
Despite the email, Scirotto said that the situation is not critical.
"If somebody had damage to the vest, or the vest was expired, we'd replace it. It's just those traditional, typical replacements that we are not doing at the moment," he said.
But multiple officers say requests to replace expired vests have fallen on deaf ears.
Police Officers' Union president Bob Swartzwelder says an expired vest may still stop a bullet, but the real problem lies within the manufacturer's warranty.
"The FOP finds that compelling an officer to work with an expired ballistic vest is a complete abdication of Mayoral and Chief of Police responsibility," said Swartzwelder.
Safariland, the manufacturer, warranties the vests for five years, according to their website.
"From the FOP'S viewpoint, an officer should be placed on paid administrative leave until the City finds the funds and the vendor to supply the officer with this critical piece of life-saving equipment before the officer returns to full duty," Swartzwelder added.
Bidding for the vests closed last week but is still in pending status, according to Joshua Lamande, a sourcing specialist for the city.
Bobby Harr is the founder of Eyes on PGH, a citizen journalism project based in Pittsburgh, PA. Send story tips to bobbyharrpgh@gmail.com.
A great read!
I wonder how their bidding process works and how many companies they are working with? Are they actually accepting multiple bids or are they working with their previous supplier and are essentially renegotiating the contract under the guise of “bidding?”