Moniteau County Sheriff’s Office receives donated shield

Office previously lacked ballistic shield

Submitted — Moniteau County Sheriff's Office deputies pose for a photo with their new ballistic shield, which was donated by the United States Deputy Sheriff's Association. The department did not previously have a ballistic shield, which is used in scenarios where officers interact with barricaded or armed subjects.
Submitted — Moniteau County Sheriff's Office deputies pose for a photo with their new ballistic shield, which was donated by the United States Deputy Sheriff's Association. The department did not previously have a ballistic shield, which is used in scenarios where officers interact with barricaded or armed subjects.

It's better to be prepared than not.

While Moniteau County Sheriff Tony Wheatley hopes to never use the ballistic shield his department received from the United States Deputy Sheriff's Association (USDSA), his office is now prepared for situations where the shield could be the difference between life and death. He said ballistic shields offer deputies "a second layer of protection" during dangerous situations, such as when dealing with armed or barricaded subjects.

Wheatley said his office received the bullet-resistant shield "about a month ago" after applying for a grant from USDSA, which donates equipment to smaller law enforcement agencies that may not get it otherwise. He said his office did not previously have a ballistic shield.

"They have a grant program and I reached out to them and told them what we were needing and they approved a donation within 24 hours," Wheatley said. "They reached back out and said that it was granted and would ship it straight to us, and they did."

Wheatley said he previously applied for a grant for a shield through the federal government, but the grant was denied. The average cost of a ballistic shield is $1,600-$2,000, he said.

According to the USDSA website, the organization "... donates much needed safety equipment to smaller, underfunded law enforcement agencies at no charge to the department." In addition to shields, USDSA also donates other safety equipment, including preliminary breath testers, drug identification kits, emergency belt trauma kits, tactical flashlights and first aid kits.

While the shield may never be used, it's there just in case.

"Hopefully it'll sit there and collect dust," Wheatley said. "That's all we can hope for."