WEST SENECA, N.Y. -- The West Seneca Police Department received 20 ballistic vests today thanks to a grant from the Law Enforcement Foundation of Western New York.
Former Buffalo police commissioner Rocco Diina heads the foundation, and says it's critical that equipment for officers evolves as criminals escalate what they're carrying.
"When I went through the academy, we trained police officers to get behind the police car to open the door and use the door as a shield. But nowadays, the weapons these criminals are carrying would go through that like butter," said Diina.
Police say the vests are capable of stopping most rifle and shotgun rounds.