State offers $4m in aid to hire 50 more police
Thirteen Massachusetts communities will share $4 million in municipal police grants to hire 50 police officers statewide, Governor Deval Patrick and Secretary of Public Safety Kevin Burke said yesterday.
"Violent crime continues to plague many of our communities, and we have made support for those on the front lines a top priority for several years," House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi said in a statement.
"These funds will put new cops on the street across the state where they are needed most - in urban settings."
The 13 communities were chosen based on their population, crime rates, the amount of officers lost from 2002 through 2005, and the ratio of officers per 1,000 citizens.
Springfield received the most money, getting $560,000, while Worcester and Fall River both received $400,000.
Lowell, Holyoke, Lynn, Brockton, Chelsea, New Bedford, Lawrence, Fitchburg, Pittsfield, and Wareham received amounts ranging from $160,000 to $320,000.
"I only wish more could be provided, but these funds go directly where they're needed, helping keep communities safe," Burke said in a statement.
Although Patrick, Burke, and DiMasi said the grants would help communities, one police chief was skeptical.
Chief Anthony R. Scott of Holyoke said he would recommend that the mayor reject the grant because it will employ extra officers for a limited time.
"After the three or four years, the city and taxpayers need to find the money to keep those individuals employed," he said. "It's not fiscally responsible."
