By MICHELE PAGE
The Daily World
“We haven’t let the grass grow under our feet,” said Maj. Ronald Scott, Helena-West Helena assistant police chief as he outlined the grants the department is seeking.
Under the Cops Hiring and Recovery Program, the department is up for $1.2 million that will allow the department to hire 10 additional officers. The grant covers salary, insurance, vacation and deferred pay. The application is already submitted said Scott.
Scott and Claud Barnes, a grant writer who is also helping the city of Marianna, compiled the necessary data for the grant.
“This grant helps police departments hire and keep officers. They will pay those salaries for 36 months and after that 36 months, the city has to retain those officers for 12 months at the same pay scale and benefits,” explained Scott. “That’s the city’s only contribution.”
Scott hopes to take the funds and pay the six officers the city council added to the department. The funds the council appropriated could be used to give the officers in the department a much-needed raise, said Scott.
Scott says his officers haven’t had a raise in some time.
“If we’re awarded this grant we can give raises or for other resources,” said Scott.
Although the department doesn’t know when the grant will be awarded, Scott says they’re “ahead of the game.”
The U.S. Department of Justice administers this particular grant and it is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Scott says he also is working on another grant that comes from the ARRA. It’s administered by the state for communications and will help the department with certain information systems.
“When it comes down to the nitty gritty, we are already on that list,” said Scott. “With that grant, we’ll be trying to upgrade our communications system.”
The proposed upgrades include the Arkansas Wireless Information Network and Computer Aided Dispatch. Both will allow the department to make a significant technological jump when it comes to crime fighting. The technology will allow officers to spend less time behind the desk and more time on the streets.
The advances should make the department more efficient, stronger, and more manageable and provide better services for the community, says Scott.
The CAD system tracks all police units on a GSI.
The system is linked to the court system, which will allow less paperwork and more electronic communication between the branches of the government, the judicial branch especially, and allow officers to do the majority of their reports from their patrol car.
“I figure that if there’s a change we could get it, now is the time will all the government funds floating around.”
The grant also provides technical assistance and helps train the officers on the correct use of the equipment.
If the H-WHPD gets the grant, the department will face some changes, explained Scott.
He said he has worked on the grant two years.
A third grant, the Edward Buyrn grant, is a local grant totaling $119,000.
Scott will use the funds to start a Drug Interdiction Program with a two-man unit enforcing the drug policies. The grant allows for salary, surveillance equipment for the officers and will help the community adopt some drug programs for chemical dependent individuals. Scott says the department will partner with a local drug rehabilitation center.
“These are the directions we want to go in but have had limited resources,” commented Scott.
The Local Monitoring Youth Initiative grant will get some programs started to help with a juvenile prevention and rehabilitation program. The department has not been given a dollar amount for that grant but Scott is confident it will make an impact on the community.
“It’s defiantly something we will be looking at very closely,” said Scott.
A USDA Rural Development grant will allow the department to buy more patrol cars.
“I’m looking for a grant where we can buy a building. That way we can separate the police department from all other entities. We need the space. We are looking at 38 officers and we’re already crowded,” said Scott.
