New York State is taking steps to protect police officers who risk their lives every day.

Today Attorney General Eric Schneiderman came to Yonkers and announced a new program, inVEST Partnership, which will provide law-enforcement agencies the opportunity to purchase bulletproof vests for sworn officers. "Police officers wear these bulletproof vests every day to ensure their safety. Now there is a new state program to ensure that departments can afford to do that," says Schneiderman.

Each vest costs between $700 and $1,000, and federal funds have been cut to pay for them. The inVEST program will cover half of the costs for each vest. Nearly $3.5 million collected from criminal activities will be used to pay for the vests.

Departments have until mid-July to apply for the grants to ensure the safety of their officers.