LANSING | Lansing police officials are seeking permission to solicit bids so they can buy new body armor for their officers.

Police Chief Dan McDevitt last week asked the Village Board for the green light to get bids from four area companies for bulletproof vests and other body armor, which the Police Department periodically must replace.

Some of the vests that Lansing officers use date back to 2003, McDevitt said, which means their manufacturer can no longer guarantee they will stop bullets.

"Believe it or not, body armor has a shelf life," he said.

McDevitt said he calculated it will cost about $53,000 to replace the vests, although he would not object if a company were to submit a significantly lower bid.

The Village Board is expected to consider the purchase proposal when it meets Tuesday.

The federal government will reimburse Lansing for half the cost of the body armor under a U.S. Department of Justice program. The Police Department will pay the remaining cost with funds that come from money it confiscates in drug-related crimes.