WEST CHESTER TWP. — The West Chester Twp. Police Department has been given the green light to seek a federal grant to replace 20 bulletproof vests with new ones.

The township’s Board of Trustees approved a motion Tuesday, June 12, authorizing the department to apply for the 2012 U.S. Department of Justice Bulletproof Vest grant, said Barb Wilson, a spokeswoman for the township.

The deadline to apply is June 27, said Chief of Police Erik Niehaus.

He said the department is planning to replace 20 vests that are expiring — after five years of usage — in the next fiscal year if awarded the 50 percent reimbursement grant, valued at about $7,437.50.

Niehaus said if the department is not awarded the grant, it still plans to purchase the vests with money from its budget at a cost of $14,875.

“Because that equipment is so vital to the job that these officers do, we’re absolutely going to purchase the vests one way or the other,” he said. “This will obviously offset our expenses greatly. It’ll be a big help to us.”

Trustee Board Member George Lange said he recalls a March 9, 2007 incident where bulletproof vests saved the lives of two township officers.

He said during a traffic stop on Cincinnati Dayton Road, West Chester Police Sgt. Matt Beiser and Officer Jeff Duma were shot.

“One was actually hit in the vest. The vest actually stopped the bullet and where he was injured was in a non-vital place. It’s very important, for the protection of our officers, that we have them well equipped,” he said.

The department is not sure when it will hear if it has been awarded the grant, Niehaus said.

“They don’t give us a specific time line about when we will find out, but historically it’s been fairly quick. We’re confident we’ll know before the federal fiscal year starts, which is Oct. 1,” he said.

The department consists of 88 sworn full-time officers whose vests are replaced on a “staggering” basis, Niehaus said.

“Typically, it’s all dependent on when the offer is hired originally, because they’re issued a new vest on the date that they start employment with us,” he said. “Those start dates vary throughout the year and over history, and so they’re going to expire five years from the day they start roughly.”

He said the department has applied for the grant in the past and has been awarded funds several times.

Last year, Niehaus said the department applied for the grant and was reimbursed $6,750 towards the purchase of 20 vests.

“We’ve been very successful in receiving it when we apply for it, so we’re very hopeful again this year,” he said.