Crime & Safety

$125,000 COPS Grant Helps Farmington Fund New Police Officer

The new patrol officer is filling the spot of a policeman reassigned to a second school resource officer role in the schools following the Newtown school shooting.

The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) has awarded a $125,000 grant to the Farmington Police Department to help fund a new officer's salary. 

“Protecting our children and maintaining our schools as a safe and enriching learning environment are critically important, and I am pleased to join the Attorney General, the COPS Office and BJA in announcing these grants,” Acting U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly said in a statement regarding the announcement Sept. 27.  “This funding will help provide Bridgeport, Farmington, Hartford, Newtown and Norwich with the resources needed to accomplish this vital mission.”

The grant money will supplement the bulk of the cost for the new patrol officer the Town Council authorized the Farmington Police Department to hire. The officer filled a vacancy after the department reassigned a policeman to a school resource officer position. The officer was already hired, so Lt. Colin Ryan said the grant comes at a convenient time. 

The second school resource officer added at the start of the school year is focusing on three district schools. An existing school resource officer is working with the other three schools and a youth officer is already stationed at Farmington High School. The officers are at the schools for to educate and mentor the students as well as to protect them.

"Not only will they have an increased physical presence in the schools, but the three will handle all youth related investigations as well," Ryan said. "We are fortunate to have three of our most seasoned and professional officers filling these roles and we are proud of the work they do in conjunction with the school personnel."

Farmington is one of many districts across the state adding security to its schools after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting last December. But officials have previously stressed that Farmington is not rushing to ramp up security but rather bringing to fruition discussions on school safety that have been happening since as far back as Columbine in 1999.

The school resource officer was noted as a high priority recommendation following a security study completed last school year.

The COPS Hiring Program has supplied more than $14 billion in grants benefitting over 13,000 "state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 125,000 officers," according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, providing "a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training, and technical assistance."

“In the wake of past tragedies, it's clear that we need to be willing to take all possible steps to ensure that our kids are safe when they go to school,” United States Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement. “These critical investments represent the Justice Department’s latest effort to strengthen key law enforcement capabilities, and to provide communities with the resources they need to protect our young people. Especially in a time of increased challenges and limited budgets, our top priority must always be the safety and well-being of our children.”

The grant helps pay for the salary and benefits for the officer hired for three years and seeks to advance community policing. 

"Grantees for the 2013 hiring program were selected based on their fiscal needs, local crime rates, and their community policing plans," the release stated.
"There was an additional focus this year on agencies requesting assistance in developing school safety programs that would include the hiring of a school resource officer."

COPS awarded 263 cities and counties nationwide with grants to help create "947 law enforcement positions," according to the release. Of those, $45 million of the $125 million in grant money will fund 356 new school resource officer positions.


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