Auxiliary Officers To Get Protective Vests

New York City's volunteer police officers by the end of the year will be outfitted with the same bullet-resistant vests worn by full-time officers, and they could be required to have Mace, nightsticks, gas masks, and defibrillators under legislation to be proposed by a City Council member.

Mayor Bloomberg is including $3.3 million in the city's budget to buy more than 4,500 vests and will set aside $617,000 each year to buy additional vests for new volunteers, he said yesterday at the 6th Precinct station house, the command post for the two auxiliary officers killed while patrolling Greenwich Village on March 14.

The shooting of the officers, Nicholas Pekearo and Eugene Marshalik, drew public attention to the police department's volunteer arm and triggered a push by lawmakers to outfit the volunteers with bulletproof vests.

"It was awful, coldblooded, a crime that shocked our entire city, but now we are determined to turn that pain into a force for good," Mr. Bloomberg said yesterday. "We will continue to evaluate the auxiliary officers program to see if there are any further changes in policy that we can make to protect these courageous, selfless men and women."

Auxiliary officers are considered the eyes and ears of the police department, because they patrol, observe, and report criminal activity to police officers. They wear uniforms virtually identical to regular police officers and carry radios, batons, and handcuffs.

Commissioner Raymond Kelly said bulletproof vests would not have saved Pekearo and Marshalik, but "may very well save an officer's life" in the future.

An auxiliary officer in the 6th Precinct, Stephanie Phelan, said she is thankful the vests will be provided, but wished it hadn't required the deaths of her two colleagues to prompt the policy change. Ms. Phelan, 60, has been a volunteer officer for 26 years, but never bought a vest.

"I think it's a good idea for people to wear them," Ms. Phelan, who also patrols Greenwich Village, said. "At the same time, this is a very good neighborhood. A safe neighborhood."

Council Member David Weprin put forward a 10-point plan yesterday to assist auxiliary officers by requiring the police department to give them more protective gear, in addition to the vests, and to extend other benefits to the volunteers.