Online votes could bring grant to police

With help from the public, Limerick Police could receive up to $5,000 in grant money for the K-9 Unit.

LIMERICK » Limerick Police were recently nominated for a K-9 grant and with some help from the public, they could receive up to $5,000.

Limerick Police said they were recently nominated for the annual Aftermath K-9 Grant, a grant that helps support K-9 units and local law enforcement throughout the U.S. Aftermath, a provider of trauma cleaning and biohazard remediation, offers grants ranging from $1,000 for the department in fifth place all the way to $5,000 for the department that is voted in first place.

The grants can be used for existing or prospective K-9 programs for maintenance, safety equipment or officer training, according to their website. Officers and community members nominate and vote for local departments; the top five departments with the most votes will be awarded grants.

“We have one K-9 right now and we are looking to possibly put a second one on but it remains to be seen. Should we be fortunate enough to win, it would be to support the unit to cover equipment, vet bills, training, or if we’re able to get another dog. Basically it would just be to fund the K-9 unit as we see fit,” explained Lt. Matalavage with Limerick Police.

Limerick Police Department’s K-9 unit was obtained through the Southeast PA Terrorism Task Force. The K-9 unit has since been sustained through donations from private benefactors, according to the Limerick Police website.

The department is now asking for the public’s votes to help increase their chances of receiving a grant.

“It’s open to departments nationwide so it’s a tall task. It’s going to be determined by the amount of votes we receive and hopefully we’ll finish in one of those spots,” said Matalavage.

To vote for Limerick Police Department, visit www.aftermath.com/k9grant and select Limerick Township Police Department from the drop-down menu at the middle of the page. Voters will then be prompted to enter their first and last name and an email address. Individuals can vote once per day until Nov. 7.

Votes will be tabulated on Nov. 10 to determine the winners.