Macomb aldermen have placed several grant application requests from Police Chief Jeff Hamer on next week’s city council consent agenda. This means that, if there is no reason for further discussion, they will be authorized for submission.
Hamer discussed his grant list at Monday’s city council committee of the whole meeting. The police chief said all the grants are being offered by the Department of Justice. Macomb is seeking up to $200,000 from the COPS Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Program. Hamer said he would use the money for speakers and materials for quarterly sessions with first responders and their families.
Another grant of about $100,000 is from the Community Policing Development Program for Recruitment and Retention. “We’re trying anything we can to attract or retain officers,” Hamer said. He said the money would be used to remodel portions of the police station, expanding the locker room for female officers. Community Policing Development has another grant, of which Macomb could use $175,00 to deal with the issues of homelessness and squating. Money would be used to assist the department’s social services coordinator. “This is something we can’t do without federal support,” Hamer said.
The police chief said he would like to receive a Cybersecurity Enforcement grant of about $100,000. The focus is on cybercrimes against women. and Hamer said the grant would provide advanced training for his detectives and enable them to become involved in task force sharing. Another Department of Justice grant, the Abby Honold Training Program, would provide $100,000 to improve his department’s support for survivors of domestic violence.
Aldermen also heard from CallaBria Putrino, director of the Macome Department of Public Transportation. She said the department has received eight new vehicles, four minivans and four mini-buses. Putrino said she would ask the city council next week to apply for a federal grant from a pool of $3 million to buy two or three more buses.
“Some of our buses are experiencing frequent breakdowns,” she said. “There is difficulty in getting replacement parts.”
