The City of Victoria Police Department was awarded a $500,000 grant Tuesday from the Community Oriented Policing Services Hiring Program, which provides funding to law enforcement agencies to hire new personnel.
“We’re excited that the Victoria Police Department was selected to receive funding,” said City Manager Jesús A. Garza. “As we work to enhance livability in Victoria, part of that process is keeping our city safe and making sure our police department has the resources it needs to serve the community.”
The grant will fund four new police officer positions, paying 75% of the officers’ salaries and benefits for the first three years. The new officers will carry out the Victoria Police Department’s philosophy of community policing by working directly with the community to address challenges related to violent crime impact and neighborhood quality-of-life issues.
“This award will help increase our resources and allow us to serve our community more effectively,” Police Chief J.J. Craig said. “We’ve received funding through this program in the past, and it has helped us to grow our ranks while reducing the impact to the general fund.”
In order to be considered for the program, applicants were asked to explain how funding would be used to implement community policing approaches to address problems in their communities.
“I’m proud of the improvements our department has made, and this award will help us to continue that progress,” Craig said.
For more information, visit www.victoriatx.gov.