SW commission eyes hiring police with federal grants

The Associated Press

The federal government is again offering to pick up some of the tab to hire more policemen and Southwest Mercer County Regional Police Commission will apply for more money.

Through previous federal grants the department hired five policeman; the salaries of two of them are still partly subsidized.

The grants are for three years and decline in value each year. They pay 75 percent of a policeman’s salary and benefits for the first year, 50 percent the second year and 25 percent the third.

The Department of Justice, through which the funding comes, did not set a limit on the number of positions a department can apply for. The commission agreed Tuesday to apply for one full-time policeman and three part-timers.

The department has 13 full-timers and eight part-timers. The federal government has not forced a department to keep a policeman on after the grant expires, but strongly suggests it, Police Chief Joseph Timko said. The department has kept all previous hires after the grants ran out.

Commission Chairman James DeCapua said he favors applying even though there’s no guarantee the department will be able to afford to keep the additional policemen after the grant expires. “I’m very cognizant of the fact in three years we have to come up with the money.”

According to the current contract, full-time Southwest patrolmen start at an annual salary of $26,336; in three years starting patrolmen will earn $29,336. Part-time patrolmen start at $9.50 an hour.

Back to TOP // Herald Local news // Local news headlines // Herald Home page

Questions/comments: online@sharon-herald.com
For info about advertising on our site or Web-site creation: advertising@sharon-herald.com

012700