This week, Ohio Attorney General David Yost announced that $2.7 million in grants from the Ohio Law Enforcement Body Armor Program would be distributed to 320 police departments and sheriff’s offices around the state.

Three Lawrence County agencies, the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, the Ironton Police Department and the Chesapeake Police Department, were awarded grants to buy new vests for their officers.

The body armor program is a joint effort between the attorney general and the Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation and we commend both of those agencies for making so many officers safer.

Far too many officers across this state have to worry because their vests have reached an age that they are considered expired, which means that if they get shot, the vest may not be effective enough to prevent serious injury.

Police officers have enough to worry about without the added concern of faulty equipment.

We commend Yost and the Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation for making officers safer as they keep our communities safer.