COLUMBUS — The Dayton Police Department and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office are among 10 Ohio law enforcement agencies to be awarded grants to help prevent and investigate violent crime.
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DPD will receive $4.58 million and Shelby will receive $37,278 in the ninth round round of the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program, which to date has awarded $58.3 million to 129 law enforcement agencies throughout Ohio as part of the program, Gov. Mike DeWine’s office said Monday.
Approximately $100 million will be awarded to local law enforcement agencies in total.
DPD’s share is to be used for retention and hiring bonuses to help maintain current law enforcement staffing levels, recruit officers and continue ongoing public safety services to prevent and investigate violent crime, a spokesperson for DeWine’s office said.
A City of Dayton spokesperson went further to explain the funding will be used to continue to restore staffing to pre-pandemic levels.
“The $4.58 million award will offset personnel costs related to current and future academy classes over the next twenty-four months,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement Tuesday morning.
The spokesperson also noted a challenge facing many departments, including Dayton, in trying to hire, train, and retain officers.
“There is a national shortage of police officers. There are fewer qualified applicants and many current officers are electing to leave the profession through retirement and resignation. Additionally, many communities have reacted to this challenge by increasing overall compensation, which increases competition for the narrow field of qualified candidates,” the city spokesperson said.
State Rep. Phil Plummer (R-Dayton), the former Montgomery County sheriff who is serving his second term in the Ohio House, supported House Bill 110, the state operating budget that included the grant program. Plummer also sat on both the House Finance Committee and the conference committee that oversaw the legislation.
“As the former Montgomery County Sheriff, curbing crime and protecting our resident has always been a priority of mine,” Plummer said in a statement. He represents the 40th District, which encompasses portions of Montgomery County.
“I was proud to be a big part of the process creating this violent crime reduction grant, and I look forward to seeing these funds put to good use to address crime and safety issues throughout Dayton.”
Shelby County’s share is earmarked for the purchase of new technology to assist in preventing and investigating violent crime, including equipment to effectively document crime scenes and equipment to help in identifying suspected illegal substances, according to the governor’s office.
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