[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 155 (Friday, November 7, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2196]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO SERGEANT RICH GRAY

                                 ______
                                 

                         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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