The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“TRIBUTE TO SERGEANT RICH GRAY” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E2196 on Nov. 7, 1997.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO SERGEANT RICH GRAY
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HON. FRANK A. LoBIONDO
of new jersey
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, November 5, 1997
Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, today I am joining with my colleague Peter Visclosky of Indiana in introducing the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1997. This bill will create a new U.S. Department of Justice grant program which will assist State and local law enforcement agencies in providing their officers with the protection of bullet-
resistant vests.
Mr. Speaker, since the introduction of the material used in vests, the lives of more than 2,000 officers have been saved because they were wearing protective vests or other body armor. Nonetheless, I was dismayed--but not surprised--to learn that 25 percent of our Nation's police officers are on the streets without vests due to a lack of available funding. This underscores the need to provide those resources for our States and localities so that they may purchase critically needed vests. To me its simple--when you get your badge and gun, you should get your vest too.
I owe my level of interest and involvement on this issue to my friend Sgt. Rich Gray of the Pleasantville Police Department. It was Sgt. Gray who first brought this issue to my attention several years ago soon after he founded Vest-A-Cop Inc. and was working intensely to get the program moving. Vest-A-Cop is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the objective of outfitting all full-time duly sworn law enforcement officers in Atlantic County, NJ. Not only is Sgt. Gray well on his way to being successful in reaching that goal after working diligently to secure funding from a variety of sources, but last year his tireless efforts resulted in Governor Whitman signing into law a bill which would create a funding source to buy protective vests for every police officer in the State.
Rich Gray is not only an exceptional police officer and dedicated president of the Vest-A-Cop organization, but is a model citizen in other ways as well. He regularly organizes the Millville Harley-
Davidson & Pleasantiville Police Department Toy Run--an effort dedicated to providing toys and canned goods to the needy in Atlantic County--as well as other worthy community projects.
For all his duty- and civic-minded devotion and commitment, I am taking this opportunity to publicly recognize thank Sgt. Rich Gray. He is a model citizen and personal friend and I am proud to work with him on this important issue.
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