CLEARFIELD – The Lawrence Township Supervisors and Lawrence Township Police Department are looking at a couple of grants to help bolster the police force.
Chief Jeff Fink announced that the LTPD was one among three police departments in the county to get the green light for a Justice Administration Grant. The Clearfield Borough Police Department and DuBois City Police Department are the other two departments.
Fink said the JAG is a federal grant to help prevent and control crime. According to Fink the grant is based on the number of felony crimes a police department deals with.
Fink stated the LTPD is eligible for a grant over $31,700. That money can be used for job retention and creation. Fink said it can be placed in an interest bearing account and that the township has up to three years to use it. If the township does not apply the grant money to a project(s) then the township can apply for an extension on the grant.
As part of the process Fink said that the county municipalities must apply for the grant jointly. To that end, the township, as well as the City of DuBois and Clearfield Borough, if they wish to receive the grant, must appoint a grant administrator. Fink said that Lisa Kovalick, community development specialist for Clearfield County, volunteered to fill that position. She would receive 10 percent of the grant money applied for for her services. The supervisors approved appointing Kovalick as the grant administrator for the township.
Fink added that the JAG can be used to supplement other grants.
The township must hold two public hearings to give the public a chance to comment on the JAG usage.
The supervisors also agreed to apply for the COPS grant to help in the addition of three police officers.