Since laying off one career officer nearly two years ago, the Milton Police Department has been understaffed and overworked – but with a recently awarded grant, this is soon to change. The department received word that it is one of only four police agencies in the state to receive the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant. The department will receive $298,032 to help re-hire one full-time career law enforcement officer for a three-year time period.
This national law enforcement grant was also awarded to the city of Federal Way, allowing it to hire three officers.
“This investment will help put officers on the beat to fight crime, protect the Federal Way and Milton communities, and support economic development,” U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell said in a statement. “The COPS program is a proven success, and studies have shown it to be one of the most cost-effective options to combat crime. This investment will help build stronger and safer communities across the country.”
Chief Bill Rhoads plans to hire one of the city’s current reserve officers.
“We’re excited to fill this position, because it’s been tough the past couple years,” he admitted. “It’s difficult when someone wants to take a vacation, or when an officer is out sick. The options have been that we either don’t fill the shift, or we work overtime.”
Rhoads has long been a proponent of community policing, a philosophy that encourages officers to become an active part of the lives of residents. “We’re community partners, not just cops,” Rhoads said. “Our officers are invested in the community, and spend time talking to business owners and residents, because people feel more comfortable when they know and can relate to their police officers.”
The city’s next challenge is to find a way to continue the funding beyond the grant’s three-year time period.
