BEDFORD — Police Chief Robert Bongiorno is pleased to announce the Bedford Police Department has been awarded more than $45,000 in federal grant funds allocated by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Office of Grants and Research (OGR).
The Bedford Police Department received a $26,849.76 grant from the Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program. Bedford Police will use the funding to purchase thermal imaging equipment for the department’s cruisers to help increase search and rescue capabilities.
The Bedford Police Department also received a $19,000 grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This funding will be used to support the Municipal Road Safety program, including the use of speed and traffic counters.
The grants were part of $7.8 million in funding that the Baker-Polito Administration allocated last week 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 Bedford Police Department is among more than 160 law enforcement agencies across the Commonwealth that were awarded grant funding.
Additionally, the Bedford Police Department was awarded $3,500 in grant funding from the Emergency Management Performance Grant from the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The grant program provides state, local, tribal and territorial emergency management organizations with emergency and hazard preparedness.
This funding will be used to purchase traffic cones and signs for use during emergency events.
###