The Gadsden City Council on Nov. 25 adopted a resolution authorizing the city to apply for and accept funds from the Bureau of Justice Assistance Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) program, a 50/50 matching grant, to acquire body armor for police officers.

Councilman Wilson, who presented the item on behalf of the police department, said the grant covers 16 replacement vests and seven new-hire vests and that "the city's portion of the funding is $11,419.50." Council suspended the rules to consider the resolution as new business and then moved to adopt it; the motion carried by voice vote.

The BVP program requires a local match. The council adopted the measure after asking for and receiving a motion and second to take the item up that same day.

Votes at a glance: the council approved Nov. 10 minutes, ratified payment of accounts for the weeks of Nov. 7–13 and Nov. 14–20, recessed for and later reconvened from a work session, and adopted the BVP resolution. The meeting transcript records voice votes for these actions; individual roll-call votes were not recorded in the transcript.

Next steps: with the resolution adopted, police staff may proceed with the grant paperwork and the purchase process subject to procurement rules and the availability of the local match. The council did not specify delivery or implementation dates during the Nov. 25 meeting.