More fed money, more police
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By Brent Curtis Staff Writer - Published: July 29, 2009
Rutland County will receive more than $500,000 of a federal law enforcement stimulus package worth more than $5 million statewide.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding announced Tuesday will distribute $8.3 billion nationwide. The money is expected to put more than 1,000 new police officers on the streets nationwide.
In Vermont, the $5,045,045 in grants will pay for 26 new police officers for the next three years. Municipalities and law enforcement agencies that accept the grants are required to keep the officers on staff for a fourth year that is paid for locally.
Three of Rutland's five local and county law enforcement agencies were recipients of funds that will pay for new officers in Fair Haven, Brandon and the Rutland County Sheriffs Department.
"This is big for us and for the state," Rutland County Sheriff Stephen Benard said. "That's a lot of additional law enforcement on our roads and in our communities."
For Benard's department, the $150,864 federal grant will also mean stronger ties between the Sheriff's Department and the communities it serves.
Prompted by a rash of burglaries last year, Benard said his department established neighborhood watches in Wallingford and some other communities. In addition, he said his department and the communities shared information via e-mail messaging that kept his deputies and area residents in the loop on the latest clues and details in the burglary cases.
"Weeks before the arrests it was interesting to note that the citizens had the same intelligence that the law enforcement had," Benard said.
The federal funding announced Tuesday will create a community policing deputy who will take the community outreach and communication initiative a step further, he said.
The community officer will be responsible for starting up and coordinating neighborhood watches, linking case information on the department's Web site and providing electronic police log information to residents. In addition, Benard said he hopes to create a sheriff's advisory group to hear input, feedback and direction from residents in the communities his department serves.
In Fair Haven, Police Chief William Humphries said the $178,018 his department was awarded will pay to add another patrolman to the force comprised of three full-time members and a part-time detective who splits his time between Fair Haven and Castleton.
"Another patrolman will allow us to fill the gaps," he said, adding that recent crime statistics have shown an escalation in criminal activity and arrests in the Fair Haven area.
Brandon will receive $187,710, which will pay for one new officer. Brandon Police Chief Christopher Brickell could not be reached Tuesday.
brent.curtis@rutlandherald.com
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