PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Two Rhode Island municipalities have been awarded federal grants to hire police officers.
The state’s congressional delegation announced that $625,000 was awarded to help the Portsmouth and Warwick Police Departments hire officers for school-based policing and community engagement efforts.
Portsmouth plans to use its $250,000 grant to hire two new school resource officers to enhance school safety.
Warwick received $375,000 for three officers to build relationships and trust through community outreach and help the department address mental health issues.
The federal grants are administered by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The department’s Community Oriented Policing Services Office awarded the grants, as part of $119 million in grants awarded to police departments nationwide.
Since 2009, Rhode Island police departments have received more than $13.7 million from the office.
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