Grants will help with towns with costs of additional police officers, equipment

Friday, September 25, 2009 3:00 AM  |  Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend | Staff report

Two Rowan towns will get funding for an additional police officer and another will get equipment to help control drivers' speed from a state grant program.

The China Grove, Landis and Kannapolis police departments will share in a statewide pool of more than $9 million awarded through the Governor's Highway Safety Program. The towns received the money in the latest round of grants announced this week.

China Grove and Landis will get more than $90,000 apiece.

Beth Horner, communications officer for the Highway Safety Program said Landis will receive $98,723 and China Grove will receive $91,605. Both towns have received the funding for an additional police officer, along with a patrol car and related equipment.

Kannapolis will get $5,280. Police Chief Woody Chavis said his department applied for money to buy a portable speed sign and data collection unit.

The town will pay 25 percent, or $1,300, for a piece of equipment that costs $5,300.

Last year, Chavis noted, the department received $10,000 from the grant program to purchase DWI checkpoint equipment and a trailer. Under that award, the state grant also paid 75 percent with city funds paying the remaining 25 percent.

Statewide, a total of 139 grants were awarded to police departments, sheriff's offices and other state and local agencies.

The money comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and must be used for highway safety projects.

Agencies apply for the grants annually and are chosen based on need, commitment to highway safety and traffic crash and fatality data.

The program's mission is to promote highway safety awareness and reduce the number of traffic crashes and fatalities in North Carolina through the planning and execution of safety programs.