Local Governments to Receive $1.8 Million in Violence Prevention Funds
Harrisburg – December 15, 2022 – Police departments in the 45th Senate District will receive more than $1.8 million in state funds to for equipment and training, state Sen. Jim Brewster announced today.
“We’re still facing and epidemic of violence that surged during the early days of the pandemic and hasn’t really let up,” Brewster said. “These grants will help provide equipment and training to help local police face new and lingering challenges.”
The grants were awarded through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) and approved at their meeting on Wednesday. Brewster serves on the Commission’s School Safety and Security Committee.
Local governments receiving grants include:
- Baldwin Borough – $200,000 for Medical Marijuana Enforcement
- Plum Borough – $200,000, for Medical Marijuana Enforcement Training
- Duquesne City – $739,479, for surveillance cameras, license plate readers, and IT upgrades as well as $645,150 to staff and support a gun violence investigation unit
- West Mifflin Borough – $90,240 for in-car cameras
The grants were part of $170 million awarded statewide through the Local Law Enforcement Support (LLES) Program and Gun Violence Investigation & Prosecution (GIVIP) Program. Both are administered by PCCD. Brewster helped secure funding for these programs in the most recent state budget.
The LLES program provides law enforcement agencies with the necessary resources to implement information technology improvements, purchase or upgrade equipment, cover nontraditional law enforcement personnel costs, support retention and recruitment efforts, and provide necessary training. Priority consideration for these grants is given to areas of Pennsylvania with high rates of violence or to law enforcement agencies with low clearance rates (i.e., lower ability to solve crimes).
More funding will be made available next year. Interested groups can visit the PCCD website for information.
