About 400 bulletproof vests destined for Ukraine were stolen from a New York City non-profit organization that’s been leading an effort to collect and ship tactical gear to people in the warzone, police said Wednesday
Police say the used vests, donated by local law enforcement, were taken from the offices of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America and the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America on Second Avenue in Manhattan.
Police responded around 9:15 a.m. to a call of a burglary and “were informed that approximately 400 bullet proof vests that were removed from the location,” NYPD Sergeant Edward Riley said.Police departments in the New York City area have donated hundreds of decommissioned bulletproof vests to charities supporting Ukrainian forces fighting Russia’s invasion.
The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office on Long Island said it worked with the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America to donate 450 used, decommissioned vests, but could not confirm that the vests that were stolen were the ones it donated. The sheriff’s office stops using the vests after five years, but officials said they remain sturdy enough to offer protection in warfare.