Related links
Dallas -
Tarrant County's Sansom Park Police Departmenet will receive federal stimulus money.
It isn't unusual to see Sansom Park police officer, Andy Young working the streets by walking his beat. The community police officer likes to make the rounds and meet people. He says the best crime-fighting technique is building trust, but with only 12 officers on the entire force, meeting the needs of his growing city is difficult.
"Sometimes you have to handle 2 or 3 problems at a time", says Young.
But that focus on community policing may have helped earn the tiny department in Tarrant County some extra manpower. Sansom Park will receive more than $134,000 in federal stimulus money to cover the cost of one extra officer for the next 3 years. "We are a small city with big city problems" says Chief Tony White. "Adding this extra officer is just outstanding and something we really need".
MORE:
In all, the Community Oriented Policing Services program or COPS will dole out nearly $37 million to hire or retain 196 officers in Texas. Only 31 agencies received funds, even though more than 400 applied. But one of the biggest losers was Houston, which did not get any funds from the program. Other large cities in the state, like San Antonio and Dallas will both get funding for 50 officers.
For many, the extra funding comes at a time when cash-strapped departments are finding it difficult to find the funds to hire extra officers. "We are like many, we have budget constraints", said Sergeant Os Flores who is a spokesperson for the Arlington Police. Arlington will receive money for 31 officers, even though it requested 54. Some feared the department was grossly understaffed. "This will help keep our service at a level our community deserves", said Flores.
The cash does come with a catch. The stimulus dollars will pay for the first 3 years of an officer's salary and benefits, but the city is required to pay for a fourth year. Officials with the Fort Worth Police Department say they didn't apply for the federal funds because the city didn't meet the criteria requiring police layoffs.
It isn't unusual to see Sansom Park police officer, Andy Young working the streets by walking his beat. The community police officer likes to make the rounds and meet people. He says the best crime-fighting technique is building trust, but with only 12 officers on the entire force, meeting the needs of his growing city is difficult.
"Sometimes you have to handle 2 or 3 problems at a time", says Young.
But that focus on community policing may have helped earn the tiny department in Tarrant County some extra manpower. Sansom Park will receive more than $134,000 in federal stimulus money to cover the cost of one extra officer for the next 3 years. "We are a small city with big city problems" says Chief Tony White. "Adding this extra officer is just outstanding and something we really need".
MORE:
In all, the Community Oriented Policing Services program or COPS will dole out nearly $37 million to hire or retain 196 officers in Texas. Only 31 agencies received funds, even though more than 400 applied. But one of the biggest losers was Houston, which did not get any funds from the program. Other large cities in the state, like San Antonio and Dallas will both get funding for 50 officers.
For many, the extra funding comes at a time when cash-strapped departments are finding it difficult to find the funds to hire extra officers. "We are like many, we have budget constraints", said Sergeant Os Flores who is a spokesperson for the Arlington Police. Arlington will receive money for 31 officers, even though it requested 54. Some feared the department was grossly understaffed. "This will help keep our service at a level our community deserves", said Flores.
The cash does come with a catch. The stimulus dollars will pay for the first 3 years of an officer's salary and benefits, but the city is required to pay for a fourth year. Officials with the Fort Worth Police Department say they didn't apply for the federal funds because the city didn't meet the criteria requiring police layoffs.
