Posted: 7:00 a.m. Thursday, June 19, 2014

Police awarded grant money for training

By Lot Tan

Staff Writer

MIDDLETOWN — 

    The Middletown Community Foundation awarded Middletown Police a $10,000 grant that will be used for training, according to police. The money is needed, Sgt. Andy Warrick said, because there are no training dollars allocated for 2015.

    “Due to budget cuts, training is one of the areas that’s hardest hit,” Warrick said. The overall budget for the police department is projected to be approximately $750,000 less next year compared to this year, according to Middletown Police.

    The money will be used to send detectives to specialized classes, and for evidence technicians to learn new techniques, and to teach officers how to operate new equipment, according to police.

    Warrick says some supervisors may also attend the Police Executive Leadership College, which has classes held throughout the state.

    Warrick said he isn’t done searching for more grant money for the department. He plans to mail a grant request this week to the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation, he said.

The foundation seeks to support police and fire departments throughout the U.S. with a particular emphasis on support for K-9 units and service dogs.

    Warrick says Middletown Police was awarded $8,000 a few years ago from the Roethlisberger Foundation.

    “We put in canine pads, six kennels with overhang protection for canines during training to protect them from inclement weather. This year I’m reapplying for that for our storage facility and to obtain more equipment,” he said.

    The deadline to apply for the grant is Aug. 15, according to Warrick. He says the winner will be notified next fall during the week of the Steelers-Bengals game at Paul Brown Stadium.

    Some of the new training dollars will be spent this year, but Warrick said the majority of the money will be spent during the first six months of next year.