Donated bulletproof vests for Ukraine stolen in NYC, police say

NEW YORK — About 400 bulletproof vests destined for Ukraine had been stolen from a New York Metropolis non-profit group that is been main an effort to gather and ship tactical gear to individuals within the warzone, police mentioned Wednesday.

Police say the used vests, donated by native legislation enforcement, had been taken from the workplaces of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America and the Ukrainian Nationwide Ladies’s League of America on Second Avenue in Manhattan.

Police responded round 9:15 a.m. to a name of a housebreaking and “had been knowledgeable that roughly 400 bullet proof vests that had been faraway from the placement,” NYPD Sergeant Edward Riley mentioned.

A message looking for remark was left with the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America.

Police departments within the New York Metropolis space have donated tons of of decommissioned bulletproof vests to charities supporting Ukrainian forces combating Russia’s invasion.

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The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Workplace on Lengthy Island mentioned it labored with the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America to donate 450 used, decommissioned vests, however couldn’t verify that the vests that had been stolen had been those it donated.

The sheriff’s workplace stops utilizing the vests after 5 years, however officers mentioned they continue to be sturdy sufficient to supply safety in warfare.

“It’s despicable that somebody would break right into a constructing to steal provides and supplies supposed to assist these affected by this humanitarian disaster,” mentioned Vicki DiStefano, a spokesperson for Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr.

Andrij Dobriansky, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, mentioned final week that the plan was for donated gear to be shipped by air to Poland after which transported into Ukraine.

The gadgets had been most certainly for use by civilian safety and medical groups, together with residents who’ve joined the combat towards the Russian navy, not Ukrainian troopers themselves, officers mentioned.