DATE: December 9, 2025
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: John Zanoni, Sheriff-Coroner-Public Administrator
Lisa A. Smittcamp, District Attorney
Kirk Haynes, Chief Probation Officer
SUBJECT: 2025 Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program Grant Application
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Fresno County Administrative Office to submit the Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) application to the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) which, if awarded, would provide reimbursement up to 50% of the purchase price of bulletproof vests for the Sheriff-Coroner-Public Administrator’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office and the Probation Department, effective from April 1, 2025, through August 31, 2027 ($296,865).
REPORT
There is a potential decrease in Net County Cost associated with this action. Approval of the recommended action, if awarded, will ensure reimbursement for up to 50% of the cost of bulletproof vests. The involved County departments (Sheriff, District Attorney and Probation) are required to submit their respective automated applications to the Fresno County Administrative Office where applications are then submitted on-line to BJA by the application deadline of December 19, 2025. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There is no viable alternative action for the receipt of BVP funding.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is potential decrease in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The BJA grant application, if awarded, provides reimbursement for up to 50% of the cost of the bulletproof vest and would offset Net County Cost. The recommended action for FY 2025’s total application request in the amount of $296,865 ($258,926 for the Sheriff’s Office, $10,358 for the District Attorney’s Office and $27,581 for the Probation Department). Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenue are included in the FY 2025-26 Adopted Budget for the Sheriff-Coroner-Public Administrator’s Office Org 3111, District Attorney’s Office Org 2860 and Probation Department Org 3430 and will be included in subsequent budget requests. The actual savings would vary depending on the amount of the grant award and the number of vests ordered by each department.
DISCUSSION:
The Bulletproof Vest Partnership Act signed into law in 1998 is a unique U.S. Department of Justice initiative designed to save the lives of law enforcement officers by helping states and local governments equip their officers with armor vests. Eligible law enforcement officers for the BVP program include Sheriff Deputies, Correctional Officers, Police Chaplains, Parole and Probation Officers, and Judicial Officers. The BVP program allows for the Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, and Probation Department reimbursement for up to 50% of the cost of each vest purchased.
This is the twenty seventh year of available funding through the BVP program. Fresno County received funding from 1999 through 2002 and again from 2005 through 2012. Fresno County was awarded $9,001 in 2011 and $11,531 in 2012. Fresno County did not receive funding in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2024 due to the BVP program experiencing a high demand in the number and dollar value of applications and because of the 2013 statutory requirement to provide funding to jurisdiction with less than 100,000 residents; all available funding had to be committed to smaller jurisdictions. The BVP program had a slight increase of available funds in 2016 after meeting the statutory requirement to provide funding to jurisdictions with less than 100,000 residents and had remaining funds to award jurisdictions whose population exceeded 100,000. As a result, Fresno County was awarded $248.34 in 2016. Fresno County did not receive funding in 2017 due to the BVP program experiencing high demand in the number and dollar value of applications; and funds were awarded to the smaller jurisdictions whose populations were less than 100,000 based on the statutory requirement. Fresno County was awarded $109,508.97 in 2018. Fresno County did not receive funding in 2019. Fresno County was awarded $31,454.38 in 2020, $79,290.77 in 2021, $50,208.87 in 2022 , and $13,008.65 in 2023.
The recommended action for FY 2025’s application consists of bulletproof vest requests of 389 (348 vests for the Sheriff’s Office,15 for the District Attorney’s Office, and 26 for the Probation Department) with a total application request in the amount of $296,865. The total cost includes the cost of the vest, fitting charges, and estimated local taxes.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #26, June 4, 2024
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Submission Confirmations with BVP
CAO ANALYST:
Fine Nai