The Piggott Police Department has received three new bulletproof vests through a donation from the United States Deputy Sheriff’s Association (USDSA), police officials confirmed.
Police Chief Sam Poole said the department requested the soft armor vests as part of the USDSA’s program providing equipment to rural law enforcement agencies across the country. Each vest is valued at approximately $1,200 but was supplied to Piggott at no cost.
According to Chief Poole, three officers had been using hand-me-down vests from previous officers, which were less than optimal. Poole emphasized the importance of having properly fitted safety gear in life-threatening situations.
“If it’s loose on their body, it can crease, and maybe a bullet can go up and hit them somewhere above the armor or around the arm,” Poole explained.
Poole added that while the city would have purchased the vests if necessary, the donation helped ease the strain on the police department’s budget. “We would buy the vests if that’s what we had to do, but whenever we can get help from the United States Deputy Sheriff’s Association and the Arkansas Chief’s Association, we use that,” Poole said.
The soft armor vests are designed to protect officers from bullets fired by the most common types of firearms, such as handguns. They also feature slots that allow for replacing armor plates as needed.
The United States Deputy Sheriff’s Association is known for assisting rural and smaller police departments with donations of equipment and other support.
No further details were immediately available.