Washington, DC– Connecticut will be receiving over $24 million in federal grants for the hiring and training of police and other first responders, and for critical infrastructure protection, Senators Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., announced today. In a visit to the Clinton Police Department, the senators announced $22 million in DHS grants for first responders, and $2.25 million for Community Oriented Policing Services. In addition, the town of Clinton and the Stratford Police Department will receive $150,000 each for the COPS program.
“A rising threat level isn’t the only thing that goes up during times of need: anxiety and the cost of security increase as well,” said Dodd. “This assistance can help lessen both by ensuring that our state is better protected and more secure. It is a step in the right direction but clearly more needs to be done to help Connecticut’s law enforcement and first responders keep people in our state safer from the threat of terrorism. They deserve no less than our full and total support.” “With this funding, our first responders can work to ensure that the first decade of the 21st Century is one in which Connecticut can continue to bring down crime and tackle terrorism with focus, urgency, and resolve,” said Lieberman. “However, we must continue to work for more funding because our men and women in blue are still swimming upstream against a tide of red ink.” The US Department of Homeland Security awarded more than $21 million to the Connecticut Department of Public Safety, Division of Homeland Security, to enhance the capability of state and local agencies to prevent and respond to terrorism and to protect critical infrastructure, such as public water systems, highway tunnels, and power plants. In a separate grant award, the Department of Justice COPS awarded the Connecticut Department of Public Safety more than $2 million, the town of Clinton $150,000, and the Stratford Police Department $150,000 in hiring grants to “allow law enforcement agencies to help pay for the salary and benefits to hire additional sworn officers to perform community policing and homeland security activities.” $21 Million for Critical Infrastructure and First Responder Preparedness