Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims has donated nearly 300 used ballistic vests to Advance Armenia Foundation, a non-profit organization affiliated with Republic of Armenia in Fresno.
The idea behind the donation was hatched during a conversation between Sheriff Mims and Sheriff Peter Koutoujian of Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Due to the recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the two sheriffs began to brainstorm ways to potentially improve safety for the people of Armenia. They came to the conclusion that as part of a humanitarian effort, supplying body armor could save lives in that region.
These vests have reached the maximum manufacturer recommended lifespan which is five years. Normally the old vests are returned to the vendor for disposal. In this case, the decision has been made to repurpose them, giving them to the Advance Armenia Foundation. The organization will be in charge of distributing the vests to those in need in Armenia.
“These ballistic vests no longer have value to our personnel at the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. We are not even able to obtain credit for them toward the purchase of new vests, so I believe we are best served to donate them to a worthy cause. Even though we can no longer use this equipment, it has value to those who have nothing at all,” said Sheriff Margaret Mims.
“When Glendale City Councilmember Ardy Kassakhian first spoke to me about the need for protective equipment, I knew Sheriff Mims would answer the call,” said Sheriff Peter Koutoujian. “As sheriffs we seek to protect our communities and keep them safe. I applaud Sheriff Mims and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office for extending that mission globally and swiftly responding to this request.”