BRIDGEWATER –Chief Christopher D. Delmonte is pleased to announce that the Bridgewater Police Department received $44,998 in federal grant funds allocated by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Office of Grants and Research (OGR).
The Bridgewater Police Department received a $24,998 grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a $20,000 grant from the Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program.
The funds from the NHTSA grant will be used to purchase additional traffic enforcement equipment and to fund additional traffic enforcement patrols throughout the year to combat impaired and distracted driving. Neighborhood speed enforcement will also be conducted as it is a persistent concern within the community.
The funds from the JAG program will be used to purchase health and wellness equipment for the department’s officers. Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the funds will be used to purchase equipment that ensures officers’ health and their ability to meet the daily demands of a modern police agency.
“I would like to thank the Governor’s Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, and the Office of Grants and Research for their support of the department and our community,” Chief Delmonte said. “Their continued support has made it possible for us to improve our law enforcement and traffic safety effectiveness in our community and the overall wellbeing of our personnel.”
The grants were part of $7.8 million in funding that the Baker-Polito Administration allocated yesterday 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 Bridgewater Police Department is among more than 160 law enforcement agencies across the Commonwealth that were awarded grant funding.
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