Colorado is planning to send hundreds of pieces of surplus police protective equipment to Ukraine after collecting it from state and local law enforcement this past week.
The state’s head of public safety calls it an opportunity to make use of expired and out of service gear, while supporting the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom and democracy.
The effort began a week ago, after Polis called on local law enforcement agencies to donate their surplus body armor and ballistic helmets. Since then, Hilkey said donations had been piling up. They include body armor from the University of Colorado Boulder Police Department, as well as helmets and vests from Denver Police.
“Agencies often have very serviceable gear that has met its shelf life and been replaced, but agencies oftentimes don’t have places to put that,” Hilkey said. “It actually helps departments get rid of that excess gear and it may save a life.”