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Garner Police Department to receive more stimulus money

By Paul Tambasco
News Editor

Uncle Sam has been good to the Garner Police Department this year.

Most of the money GPD is receiving comes from the $787 billion federal economic stimulus funds. Above, members of the department (with Mayor Ronnie Williams) gather at a recent awards ceremony. BARRY MOORE, GCNT

Since March, the department has been pegged to receive more than $401,000 in grants from the Governor’s Highway Safety Program and U.S. Department of Justice. Most of the funds and their availability are tied to the $787 billion federal economic stimulus funds signed into effect this past spring.

Department officials say the rise in federal money is welcomed, if not a little unusual.

“It’s higher than normal,” said Eric Copeland, deputy chief of the GPD.

Most recently, the Justice Department announced a grant award of $172,356 to the Garner Police via the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services’ Hiring Recovery Program. This money will be used to hire and outfit a new patrol officer for the next three years.

An entry-level police officer makes $37,969 a year in salary, Copeland said. With benefits, training and equipment, that number approaches $100,000 in costs for the first year.

The department has applied for and received COPS funds in the past, but grants have typically been smaller and have required matching funds from the local government, Copeland said. It has been several years since GPD has received COPS funds, he said.

And the aid keeps on coming

In addition, the Governor’s Highway Safety Program recently earmarked more than $173,000 to help hire a new traffic safety officer for four years. The highway safety program grant requires a 45 percent match from the town.

This is on top of a $10,000 law enforcement liaison grant, which the department has received from the Governor’s Highway Safety Program five years running. The grant is to be used for software, a radar speed sign and training.

Department officials are planning to use the money to add new patrol officers and possibly some specialized positions. The department currently has 60 employees, 43 of whom are patrol officers.

The stimulus also made the funds available to the department earlier than expected, according to Copeland. For example, department leaders originally didn’t expect a new traffic safety officer until Jan. 1, 2009; however, leftover salary tied to a resignation earlier this summer, combined with the grant, allowed officials to push the hire to Oct. 1 of this year.

In all, GPD is looking to fill four positions, including one funded through a $46,626 Justice Assistance Grant from the Office of Justice Programs, which was announced in March. Combined with asset forfeiture money from drug arrests, the grant will allow the department to fill an over-hire position left empty in this year’s budget. In past years, JAG grants have been between $10,000 and $15,000, Copeland said.

“We’ve been fortunate that the new administration has put an emphasis on creating jobs, particularly in law enforcement,” Copeland said.

Because of the resignation, the department has been busy screening applicants, he said.

As of last week, 22 people had applied.

More on the way?

In addition to the influx of federal cash, more funding may arrive soon.

The department is waiting to hear back on two other grants worth more than $257,000, Copeland said.

If successful, the department would use the money to create two new positions. The first would be a crime victim advocate, who would coordinate access to public services such as counseling for rape victims and provide information such as court dates and procedures.

The second would be a crime analyst responsible for understanding local crime trends. The position could help the department deploy officers more efficiently, Copeland said.

“It would tell us where we get the most bang for our buck,” Copeland said.

GPD is hoping to hear back regarding the grants this fall. Given Garner’s recent success and the high competition, Copeland doubts the department will see more grant money.

Still, he says the grants offer an opportunity to keep up with the town’s steady population growth and the issues that accompany that growth.

In the last year, the community has witnessed a slight uptick in criminal activity, according to local officials. Reports of crime typically increase during economic downturns.

Having more eyes on the street is invaluable, especially in times of economic trouble, Copeland said.

“There are people who are struggling … and some of them turn to crime. By having extra people on the road, we can come up with a true solution instead of just putting a band-aid on it.”

Related articles:

• Garner Police: No notice yet about stimulus funds
• Garner Police Undecided on How to Spend 46K in Stimulus Funds
• Garner Police: No Word on Receiving Stimulus Funds

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