Chester Co. residents fund new vests for sheriff’s office

Deputy Cedric Dunn feels safer going out on patrol to protect the residents of Chester County knowing those same residents have protected him and 17 other officers by donating money for new bullet-proof vests.

“When I first started here, I had a vest that was not for me and fit wrong,” he said. “I was in a situation where I was out with a big crowd, they had guns – you know, gang violence. I didn’t feel comfortable because I knew the vest I had was expired.”

Dunn is one of 18 Chester County Sheriff’s deputies who received a new vest, the funds for which were raised by the Sheriff’s Foundation of Chester County, a nonprofit organization started last year to help pay for projects for the Sheriff’s Office the county can’t pay for.

Kim Desrosiers shared her thoughts on Facebook last year after a County Council meeting.

“When I saw the clip from the County Council meeting and realized our deputies were wearing bullet-proof vests that may not be bullet-proof because they had expired,” she said, “I thought, ‘How can we as citizens expect these men and women to go out there and put their lives on the line and make us feel safe if they don’t feel safe?’”

By the time she got home from work that day, Desrosiers’ post was sweeping through the county. She’d hoped county residents would donate $1 each, but her longtime friend, Susan Thomas, started making calls and also took to Facebook to rally support for the cause. Both women, along with their husbands, pledged to buy the first two vests.

“Money started coming in, pledges started coming in,” Desrosiers said. “And in a little over a week’s time, we had pledges to buy these 18 vests.”

The foundation has raised about $19,000 to purchase the vests, which range in price from $600 for men’s vests and $1,100 for women’s vests, according to Thomas. The new vests are lighter, and each officer’s vest is custom fitted.

Everyday wear and tear can degrade vests over time, Sheriff Alex Underwood said, adding that vests typically last about five years. Some of the vests his officers were wearing are more than 10 years old.

“This means a lot to us,” Underwood said. “These guys and girls want to go home to their families just like everyone else.”

Underwood said he wants to outfit his patrol deputies first.

“Things happen. They’re the first ones to get there,” he said. “There are a lot of people carrying guns on the streets now – a lot of bad people carrying guns. They don’t have respect for law enforcement, so they don’t mind shooting at law enforcement.”

As a supervisor, Lt. John Kelly said he cares about his officers and is encouraged to know the community cares about them, too.

“It gives me that much more comfort knowing that they have the proper gear on,” he said. “It means so much to us that the citizens, the county, donated this money to us when other people that should be paying for it haven’t paid for it.”

The foundation is continuing its fundraising efforts to outfit the entire force with vests, and donations are still being accepted. Anyone looking to donate to the cause or to get involved with the Sheriff’s Foundation of Chester County can contact president Patsy McCollough at 803-385-2843.

This story was originally published July 9, 2015 at 6:18 PM with the headline "Chester Co. residents fund new vests for sheriff’s office."