Local Law Enforcement Receive Retention Grant Funds

Article Presented By Chillicothe VAMC

(Columbus) – The Chillicothe Police Department will receive a large portion of the $9.9 million that is going to 25 local law enforcement agencies to help them strategically combat violence in their communities. Chillicothe Police Department will receive $1.6 million and Pike County Sheriff will receive $412,000.

The grants are part of the fourth round of Governor DeWine’s Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program. To date, the Governor has awarded $19.5 million to 69 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. A total of $58 million will be awarded as part of the grant program overall.

“My job as governor is to make sure that tools and resources are available at the local level to help our local law enforcement officers combat the violence they face,” said Governor DeWine. “These grants provide a means for local law enforcement to protect their citizens from violent crime through solid staffing levels and enhanced crime-fighting initiatives.”

Agencies receiving grants to implement violent crime reduction strategies as part of the fourth round of the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program include:

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.

Arcanum Police Department (Darke County): $20,221.76
Beachwood Police Department (Cuyahoga County): $559,073.82
Bucyrus Police Department (Crawford County): $445,947.10
Chillicothe Police Department (Ross County): $1,602,588.16
Erie County Victim Assistance Program: $466,038.11
Hocking County Prosecutor’s Office: $414,030.63
Jackson Township Police Department (Mahoning County): $35,846.64
Kent Police Department (Portage County): $376,771.20
Mechanicsburg Police Department (Champaign County): $140,527.12
Mentor Police Department (Lake County): $186,000.00
Miami Township Police Department (Montgomery County): $303,209.90
Morrow County Sheriff’s Office: $587,141.08
New Lexington Police Department (Perry County): $76,528.32
Niles Police Department (Trumbull County): $262,350.10
Oregon Police Division (Lucas County): $442,373.16
Pike County Sheriff’s Office: $412,955.99
Piqua Police Department (Miami County): $201,502.08
Richwood Police Department (Union County): $34,892.00
Sandusky Police Department (Erie County): $232,380.00
Sidney Police Department (Shelby County): $425,704.31
Springfield Township Police Department (Hamilton County): $255,974.87
Toronto Police Department (Jefferson County): $48,702.40
Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office: $366,799.68

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.