Thanks to some federal dollars, Gainesville's police officers will stay safe while on duty for several years to come.

As part of an ongoing grant, the Gainesville Police Department recently received more than $14,000 in matching grant money from the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance to buy new bulletproof vests.

The grant will help the department to buy about 50 new vests during the next three years to replace old vests that lose warranty after five years.

"There was a massive recall (in December) about five years ago where the thread wasn't up to standard, so all of the replacement vests are becoming expired now," said Sgt. Stan Kimbrell, who coordinates grants for the department.

The bureau began the grant program in 1999, and Gainesville's department first won grant money in 2000 to fund the vests that cost $500 to $1,000 each. In previous years, the department has received around $10,000 for the vests.

"We use several different types of vests, and we field tested different kinds a few years back," said officer Kevin Holbrook. "We don't want to give too much information about what exactly the vests stop, but they can handle different calibers of projectiles and even stabbing. The vests have to meet certain specifications to get the grant in the first place."

The department buys from Protective Apparel Corporation of America, a Tennessee company founded in 1975 to make protective gear. The company creates different types of vests with the names "Blue Steel," "Liberty" and "MAXX" for winter wear, emergency services officials and point blank hits.

"Gainesville is a typical police department in that they have threats to deal with that include someone possibly wanting to shoot them. We have a wide range of products, and they select the different designs useful to their operations," said Bill Burnes, Protective Apparel Corporation of America's area representative for Georgia. "Their vests protect them, at a minimum, from their own handgun, just in case it is taken away and used against them during a struggle."

The vests also protect against guns commonly used in the area.

"The police know which handguns exist in their community. They confiscate weapons used in crimes and hear about what gangs are using," Burnes said. "They understand and make their product choices based on protecting themselves from that threat."

Of the black, white, navy and tan color choices, Gainesville's officers use black vests with a trauma plate on the chest, which spreads the force of a gunshot or blade wound.

"It'll knock you down, and you'll have a big bruise, but that's much better than the alternative," Kimbrell said with a laugh.

Each vest is specially made for each officer, so new employees must undergo a fitting before getting their own vest.

"The vests weigh about three or four pounds," Holbrook said. "They're not always comfortable, and in the summer it can be rough to wear 12 hours a day, but you never know when your chance could come."

Every officer on duty, including patrolmen, must wear a vest each day. Officers dress at home and put on the vest in case they encounter a troublesome situation on the way to the office.

"I liken body armor to seat belts. In this day and age, that anyone would argue whether or not vests are worthwhile just doesn't hold any water," said patrol officer Eric Leid. "It's worth the 30 extra seconds to put on, and if you don't like it and it's uncomfortable, you've just go to get used to wearing it."

Leid, who recently left military service, has used several types of body armor and doesn't mind donning the police department's lightweight armor with moisture control.

"When I enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1986, we had flak jackets, and those weighed upwards of about eight to 10 pounds, and as that evolved to plate armor, it got heavier and more stiff," he said. "Granted, that type of body armor is designed to stop fire cartridges, and this is a lot more practical for daily use."

Since the program started in 1999, more than 13,000 agencies have received $277 million, which has purchased 800,000 vests for officers across the nation. The grant is especially important during the tough economic times, Kimbrell said.

"If we had to start paying for the other half, the vests would still be a priority, but other programs would have to go away," he said. "Anytime we can take federal money and put it on the local side, it really helps. Money is extremely tight, and we otherwise wouldn't be able to afford what is so big for officer safety."