Police Chief Eric Shears is pleased to announce the Merrimac Police Department has been awarded more than $42,000 in federal grant funds allocated by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Office of Grants and Research (OGR).
The Merrimac Police Department received a $31,321.90 grant from the Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program, which will be used for the purchase of portables radios and accessories for officers. This will ensure that staff are issued portable radios and have the ability to better communicate with neighboring departments.
The Merrimac Police Department also received a $11,874 grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This funding will be used for the department’s traffic safety initiatives. This will be accomplished through additional patrols dedicated to addressing traffic safety concerns in the community. In addition, the department will be purchasing some updated speed measuring equipment.
“We are honored to receive this grant funding to ensure we are providing the best quality of service for our residents,” Chief Shears said. “Sgt. Richard Holcroft did an exceptional job drafting both of these grants for our department and I’m grateful for his dedicated effort that ultimately helped us receive this funding.”
The grants were part of $7.8 million in funding that the Baker-Polito Administration allocated in November to provide access to equipment and strengthen training, crime prevention and enforcement initiatives across the Commonwealth.
The JAG program provided $4.6 million to fund needs such as protective equipment and communications infrastructure. The NHTSA provided $3.2 million to fund traffic enforcement campaigns, safety equipment, and non-enforcement activities to help reduce vehicle crashes and the resulting injuries and loss of life. The funds are allocated to local agencies by the OGR.
The Merrimac Police Department is among more than 160 law enforcement agencies across the Commonwealth that were awarded grant funding.