Moline and Rock Island police will receive $37,691 in Department of Justice (DOJ) grants for new technology and equipment to better address crime and keep those communities safer.
“Our brave law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to serve our communities, often with strained budgets and without adequate equipment and technology,” said U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Moline, in a news release announcing the DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs award.
“I applaud this vital federal funding coming to our region to help local departments better protect neighborhoods. I look forward to working with local officials to make sure Illinois continues to have a seat at the table when it comes to investments like these,” he said.
Moline Police Chief Darren Gault and Rock Island Police Chief Richard Landi said their departments are pleased to receive the grants through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program. That program was created to prevent crime in Western Illinois communities.
Among items Moline police said they will buy with their funds is technology and equipment to support the department’s Crisis Containment Unit and Mobile Field Force.
Crisis Unit to get a boost
“This will help us achieve much needed improvements to our Crisis Containment Unit and Mobile Field Force teams,” Chief Gault said. “This equipment will help us better respond and protect the citizens and guests to Moline in the event of an emergency. Without these funds we would not be able to achieve our goals that help us have a strong and healthy community.”
Rock Island will use its grant to buy a utility task vehicle to allow for greater response times, maneuverability and versatility at special events. Those are places where large crowds are present and locations that have physical barriers which restrict standard vehicular traffic.
Chief Landi said “Having a specialized police vehicle capable of traversing areas that are inaccessible or unsuitable for a regular police car will definitely improve the Rock Island Police Department’s effectiveness in providing law enforcement, public safety and emergency services anywhere in the city.”
He added, “Grant funding like this is essential in our efforts to provide the highest level of police services possible to the communities we serve.”
