Local

Boardman, Warren police departments awarded state grants to fight violent crime

By Mahoning Matters staff
Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program
(Office of Gov. Mike DeWine)

The Boardman and Warren police departments on Thursday were awarded state grants to help combat violent crime.

The Boardman Police Department was awarded $628,358 “to buy ballistic panels and shields, initiate more human trafficking investigations, link victims of crime to available services and pay for overtime expenses,” a news release states.

The Warren Police Department will receive $237,326 to “upgrade the mobile forensic capabilities of its Criminal Intelligence Unit.”

Gov. Mike DeWine announced the grants Thursday during a visit to the Willard Police Department. Twenty-one law enforcement agencies were awarded a total of $8.5 million as part of the seventh round of funding through the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program.

At 2 p.m. Friday, DeWine will visit the Cortland Police Department, which was awarded $112,097 in July as part of the fifth round of funding.

Since the launch of the program in April, $37.2 million has been awarded to 119 law enforcement agencies in the state, according to the release. The program is funded through the state operating budget and with American Rescue Plan Act funds.

DeWine on Monday announced that the amount of funding available through the program is increasing from $58 million to $100 million.

“Violent crime is spiking nationwide, and here in Ohio, I want to ensure that our local law enforcement agencies have as much support as possible,” DeWine said in announcing the increase. “From new equipment to more staff, we’re giving our agencies the flexibility to use these grants in ways that make the biggest impact on the safety of their communities.”

Here are the law enforcement agencies in the Mahoning Valley that have received grants in previous rounds of funding:

ROUND 1

  • Warren Police Department, $218,344;

  • Northern Ohio Violent Crime Consortium (which includes the Youngstown Police Department), $130,418.

ROUND 2

No law enforcement agencies in the Valley received funding in the second round.

ROUND 3

  • Austintown Township Police Department, $281,800;

  • Sebring Police Department, $51,521;

  • Milton Township Police Department, $18,000.

ROUND 4

  • Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office, $366,799;

  • Niles Police Department, $262,350;

  • Jackson Township Police Department, $35,846.

ROUND 5

  • Cortland Police Department, $112,097.

ROUND 6

  • Trumbull County Prosecutor’s Office, $495,151;

  • East Liverpool Police Department, $323,413;

  • Salem Police Department, $159,704;

  • Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, $110,640.

This story was originally published August 19, 2022 at 5:00 AM.