NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Police Department is adding chemical protective suits, gloves and masks to its roughly 39,000 officers’ standard equipment, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said Tuesday.
The suits should protect against chemical agents and other toxic substances, Kelly said, describing the new equipment as part of an anti-terror push that includes bolstering training for police academy graduates.
The more than 2,100 police officers who graduated Tuesday were the first to receive special training for large-scale emergencies, terrorism and chemical and biological attacks, Kelly said.
The chemical suits and decontamination kits will arrive next month and will be kept in patrol cars and precinct lockers, police officials said.
Their purchase was funded with $25 million in federal grant money, Kelly said.