Justice Department awards police grants

BANGOR – The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded grants totaling $1,125,000 to nine law enforcement agencies throughout Maine. The funding is being made available through the department’s Community Oriented Policing Services Universal Hiring Program.

The grants will enable the law enforcement agencies to hire more full- or part-time officers, according to U.S. Reps. John Baldacci and Tom Allen, who announced the funding.

COPS funding typically pays for up to 75 percent of the new officers’ salaries and benefits for three years.

This collaborative effort between the federal government and local communities has put more officers on the street and strengthened law enforcement practices.

Grant recipients, funding amounts, and number of new officers the money is expected to cover are:

. Belfast Police Department, $75,000, one officer;

. Knox County Sheriff’s Department, $75,000, one officer;

. University of Maine Police Department, $150,000, two officers;

. City of Portland, $300,000, four officers;

. Rockland Police Department, $75,000, one officer;

. Topsham Police Department, $75,000, one officer;

. Waterville Police Department, $75,000, one officer;

. York County Sheriff’s Department, $150,000, two officers; and,

. Town of York, $150,000, two officers.