(SPRINGFIELD, Ohio)— Governor Mike DeWine today awarded $3.9 million to 16 local law enforcement agencies to help them strategically combat violence in their communities.
Governor DeWine announced the third round of his Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program while visiting Springfield this morning. The Springfield Police Division is receiving a grant of $305,206.94 to combat crime with new video technology and automatic license plate readers that will be used to quickly gather actionable intelligence to help investigate and solve incidents of gun violence in high-crime areas.
“To keep our communities safe, it’s critical that our law enforcement agencies have the right tools to go after the small group of repeat offenders who illegally carry firearms with the sole intent of hurting people,” said Governor DeWine. “By providing this support, we’re helping our peace officers proactively prevent violence, and we’re also helping law enforcement maintain the staffing levels they need to protect our communities.”
“Springfield has experienced its best success when those in our community have partnered with neighbors to achieve shared goals,” said Springfield Police Division Chief Lee Graf. “This grant will bolster local law enforcement efforts to maintain safety in our neighborhoods, and bring to justice those who seek to disrupt that peace.”
In total, Governor DeWine will award approximately $58 million as part of the grant program in coming months. To date, the Governor has awarded $9.6 million to 44 Ohio law enforcement agencies to aid in their work to hold accountable the small number of criminals responsible for most violent crime in the state.
Other agencies receiving grants as part of the third round of the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program include:
The Cleveland Division of Police (Cuyahoga County) will receive $1,747,101.01 to expand work to deter youth from gang involvement; purchase a National Integrated Ballistics Network (NIBIN) system to aid in solving gun crimes; and expand the number of Violent Crime Reduction Teams that immediately respond to violent crimes in the city.
The Whitehall Police Department (Franklin County) will receive $633,966.00 for the purchase of multiple dispatch consoles to improve communication between officers, dispatchers, and other agencies to allow for continuity of service and to enhance the department’s ability to respond to and proactively address violent crime.
The following entities will also each receive grants to pay for retention bonuses to help maintain current law enforcement staffing levels, recruit new officers, and continue ongoing public safety services to prevent and investigate violent crime.
- Austintown Township Police Department (Mahoning County): $281,800.00
- Beverly Police Department (Washington County): $11,833.00
- Bratenahl Police Department (Cuyahoga County): $89,500.00
- Cadiz Police Department (Harrison County): $29,796.00
- Coldwater Police Department (Mercer County): $36,600.00
- Gallia County Sheriff’s Office: $109,586.88
- Marietta Police Department (Washington County): $228,085.00
- Mentor Police Department (Lake County): $186,000.00
- Milton Township Police Department (Mahoning County): $18,000.00
- Pomeroy Police Department (Meigs County): $16,933.00
- Portsmouth Police Department (Scioto County): $280,211.36
- Scioto County Sheriff’s Department: $285,424.44
- Sebring Police Department (Mahoning County): $51,521.00
Previous Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Awards:
Round 1 Grant Awards: $3.7M (4-25-22)
Round 2 Grant Awards: $2M (5-26-22)
Governor DeWine, in partnership with the Ohio General Assembly, created the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program last year to give local law enforcement additional tools to address violence, including increases in crime associated with law enforcement retirements and resignations.
The program is funded through both the state operating budget and with American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) funds that Governor DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly have dedicated to first responders to counter various pressing issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, including violent crime. The grants announced today are all funded through ARPA.
The program is administered by the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services within the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
