TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL)-- The Tallahassee City Commission will meet Thursday to discuss the city budget and on that agenda is funding for new police officers with the Tallahassee Police Department. But a recently awarded grant to the department has some wondering will the budget votes be swayed.
WTXL reached out to several city commissioners to see if the grant would sway their voting. But Michelle Bono, with the office of city commissioner said the grant covers specific positions not included in the ones considered in the budget and that the voting should not be a big issue.
The grant will give the department funding for 15 officers that will be split between two specialty squads that are community oriented. Officer David Northway explained that the grant does not overlap with the original funding request.
"These are two completely separate situations the 15 officers through the COPS grant or the cops sponsored program that will be sponsored through the grant and the wording of the grant specifically says it cannot use these officers to fill in other positions that are needed within the city. So they're two totally separate entities. The 18 positions are still needed for our patrol unit, these are simply a supplement of a group of officers."
The starting salary for officers with TPD is around $45,000. The grant will cover $41k of that salary. The grant will require the city to cover the difference. The police department will have to identify funding areas for the city's share of the grant.
Officer Northway said the 15 officers funded by the grant will practice police work in specific capacities.
"A COPS squad is a squad that works with our community members on long term goals. So they're working a specific geographic area of the city, establishing relationships with the community members and work to ensure that our relationships with the community are the best they can possibly be," said Northway.
The grant will also provide a Violent Crimes Response Team.
