Put-in-Bay Police Department receives funds from law enforcement program
On Thursday, February 14, 2019, the Put-in-Bay Police Department was awarded $4,263.00 to purchase body armor for their officers as part of the recently announced Ohio Law Enforcement Body Armor Program. The Ohio Law Enforcement Body Armor Program was created to help Ohio’s local law enforcement agencies to purchase body armor vests. In June 2018, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation announced that it would dedicate a portion of safety grants to prevent injuries and fatalities among law enforcement officers.
Under an agreement between the Attorney General and BWC, the Ohio Law Enforcement Body Armor Program will be eligible for these funds through June 2019.
Ohio’s law enforcement agencies can apply for the program through an application form on the Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway (OHLEG) website. “We filled out the forms, submitted them, and received the acceptance letter fairly quickly,” stated Put-in-Bay Police Chief Steve Riddle. “After the Ottawa County Safety Council told us about the program and how to apply, we contacted OHLEG.
The time frame is about one month.” The Village of Put-in-Bay is a member of the Ottawa County Safety Council. Recently, BWC Administrator/CEO Stephanie McCloud, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, and State Attorney General Dave Yost recently announced an additional $500,000 to fund the Attorney General’s Ohio Law Enforcement Body Armor Program. This is on top of an initial $2 million previously announced for the fiscal year 2019. By the way, if you missed our last post, there is a very interesting article about Put-in-Bay Police History that is a great read!
The Ottawa County Safety Council is sponsored by the Ottawa County Improvement Corporation and the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. For more information about the Ottawa County Safety Council or how to join, please contact Jessica Kowalski at 419-898-6242 or visit www.ocic.biz/safety-council
The Put-in-Bay Police Department employs over 40 officers in the busy summer season and generally has three full time officers in the Winter months. THeir offices are located in the town hall on Catawba Avenue in downtown Put-in-Bay.
