MidHudson News is reporting the U.S. Department of Justice has awarded $20 million dollars in grants to police departments nationwide to purchase new body armor. Through the department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, 189 police jurisdictions in New York are sharing $1.2 million. In the Hudson Valley, several departments have been awarded grants ranging from $1,000 to nearly $50,000 for the purchase of new body armor, commonly referred to as bulletproof vests. Putnam County was awarded $49,764 for body armor while Columbia County is getting $12,381 and Sullivan County has been awarded $7,425 and Greene County will receive $4,800 for the vests. The city of Hudson will receive $7,981 and the town of Hunter was awarded $2,985. Among the largest awards given: the city of Kingston Police Department $20,000 and Schoharie County $10,275. The grant requires the municipality to match the grant amount, dollar for dollar. The price of a ballistic vest ranges from $300 to $1,000 depending on the features and level of safety. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.