A federal grant will allow the Normal Police Department to hire six new officers.
In announcing the $750,000 grant, U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen emphasized the importance of funding to protect local communities.
“Our local police departments, especially in our small hometowns, often work under tight budgets with limited resources,” Sorensen, D-Ill., said in a news release. “And despite these conditions, our brave men and women in law enforcement work around the clock to keep our neighborhoods safe. I am proud to announce this funding for the Normal Police Department, so our local police have the tools they need to fight crime and protect our communities.”
The grant comes from the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services [COPS] program. The grants allow local police departments to hire professionals, develop and test policing strategies and train local government leaders.
“The grant will allow us to enhance community policing efforts, emphasizing the importance of building relationships between police officers and the community,” said NPD chief Steve Petrilli. “We look forward to continuing to work with others to solve problems and improve safety.”
NPD officer Brad Park said the department is currently fully staffed at close to 90 officers, and it remains to be seen if the funding will lead to increased patrols — or will help fill vacancies as they arise.
“There’s always officers that are retiring, so we have to kind of back fill those positions,” Park said. “Also, officers that might come in might not make it through their probationary period through their field training time.”
Sorensen’s announcement comes just before the start of National Crime Prevention Month and following a shooting that occurred during homecoming weekend at Illinois State University.
