MOULTRIE — Colquitt County will receive $3,375 from the federal government to purchase 15 body armor vests to replace ones that failed federal tests.

U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., announced Thursday that the State of Georgia will receive $631,667.55 in funds from the Department of Justice to help replace Zylon-based body armor vests.

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance will distribute the funds through the Bulletproof Vest Partnership program.

As a part of the Department of Justice’s Body Armor Safety Initiative, researchers tested the Zylon-based vests and found that they may not have the needed level of ballistic resistance. On Aug. 24, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced that states would receive assistance for replacing these vests.

“This important program will fund a crucial initiative in the State of Georgia to better equip our first responders,” said Chambliss. “I am honored to assist Georgians in their efforts to make our communities safe places to live.”

“These funds will help ensure that Georgia law enforcement has the resources necessary to do their jobs safely and efficiently, and I am very pleased the Department of Justice is providing this funding,” Isakson said.

The National Institute of Justice performed ballistic testing on 103 Zylon-containing used armor vests from law enforcement agencies across the United States. Of these vests, 60, or 58 percent, were penetrated by at least one round during a six-shot test series. Of those that passed penetration testing, 91 percent showed excessive “backface deformation,” an indicator of the potential blunt trauma experienced by an officer wearing the armor. Only four used armor vests tested met all performance criteria under NIJ’s body armor standard for new body armor. In the tests, age and appearance of used Zylon-based vests were ineffective predictors of potential ballistic performance.

“Law enforcement officers put their lives at risk every day, so they must have accurate information about the safety of body armor,” said Regina B. Schofield, assistant attorney general for the Office of Justice Programs, in an August press release from the Justice Department. “The new testing program requirements and the $33.6 million provided to help with vest replacement demonstrate the Department of Justice’s commitment to helping ensure that law enforcement officers have protective equipment they can rely on as they strive to keep communities safe.”