Earlier this month, the Maybrook Police Department received an upgrade to its equipment: brand-new, bulletproof vests for all of its officers. Many of the officers’ old vests were reaching the end of their five-year warranty, so the department replaced them with pristine and professional soft body armor.

“It was time to upgrade the vests and replace the expired ones. The new vests are better for our officers,” said Arnold “Butch” Amthor, the village’s previous police chief, on January 25. “I browsed dozens of different vest designs; I saw several designs with military patterns, but I wanted to find something that looked professional.”

The Maybrook PD partially covered the costs of these vests through the Bulletproof Vest Partnership, a federal program that reimburses police departments for their vests. A single bulletproof vest typically costs between $800 to $900, but the reimbursement cuts that price in half. This also prevents the purchase from becoming a taxpayer’s burden. For the department’s 20 officers, the new vests cost roughly $8,500 in total. The Maybrook PD originally applied for the program in early 2025, and after the vests were fitted by a local vendor, the department received the new armor about two weeks ago.

Aside from their bullet-resistant capabilities, these vests also serve another important purpose: shifting the weight of the officers’ utility belts. Amthor explained that modern-day officers need to carry a lot of equipment in their belts, putting strain on their lower backs. By wearing the vests over their shirts and storing equipment in them, the officers can shift the weight of their belts to their shoulders, mitigating back pains.

“All police officers have to carry more equipment than they used to, including cameras, tasers, and other items that add weight to their belts. It’s been documented that this weight leads to back problems,” Amthor said. “Previously, vests were worn under the shirt, then the belt. But by wearing the vest over the shirt and storing items in them, the vest takes weight off the belt and shifts it to the officer’s upper body.”