Page 46 - October 2019 FOP

Chicago Police Memorial Foundation in-vests in officer safety
The Chicago Police Memorial Foundation (CPMF) knows how important it is for officers to put their safety first while serving their communities. That’s why the organization works so hard to raise money for the Get Behind the Vest campaign in an effort to make sure that every CPD officer has the protection he or she needs.
On Nov. 18-19, the CPMF will partner with Point Blank Body Armor to provide fittings for ballistic vests free of charge for CPD officers. Eligible officers must have a minimum of four years on the job as of Oct. 1.
“The whole motto is, we want to protect those who protect us,” says CPMF Director of Operations Frank Gross.
As a retired police commander, Gross knows what it’s like to put off the financial commitment of purchasing a $500 vest once every five years when the vest expires. Officers like Gross are accustomed to putting others first.
“I always took care of my family or other obligations first be- fore I took care of my own safety,” Gross recognizes. “The foun- dation realized that other officers might do the same thing.”
All CPD officers currently wearing an expired vest are eligible for the fitting, which will take place at the 22nd District Police Station, 1900 W. Monterey Ave. Get Behind the Vest has fitted more than 6,700 vests for officers since the inception of the pro- gram in 2014. Vests are now completely cost-free, thanks to the CPMF’s commitment to protecting its officers at any cost.
“The board decided to step up and make sure that all of the
costs would be covered. There was a small administrative fee that the officer or supervisor had to help out with in years past,” notes Gross. “This time, we wanted to make sure there’s no rea- son, not even a little administrative fee, that would keep some- one from getting a vest that would protect them on the streets.”
46 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ OCTOBER 2019
Vest Fitting • Nov. 18-19
22nd District Police Station • 1900 W. Monterey Ave. For information, call 312-745-5904