Police Dept. wins $86G virus grant
Rep. Lori Trahan announced funding to aid officers’ virus response.
The Fitchburg Police Department was the recipient of an $86,062 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance to support law enforcement’s efforts to respond to the coronavirus, U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan announced Monday.
“The City of Fitchburg would like to thank Congresswoman Lori Trahan, the U.S. Department of Justice and our state and federal partners for making these much needed grant
funds available,” said Fitchburg Police Chief Ernest Martineau. “These crucial funds will be used to reimburse eligible expenses associated with Fitchburg’s response to the ongoing public health crisis, assisting the men and
women who are fighting on the front lines every day.”
In the announcement Trahan said: “Heroes like the men and women who show up each day at the Fitchburg Police Department have been working tirelessly for months to deliver emergency services to keep us safe during this pandemic. Their dedication to their communities
is second to none, and I’m proud to announce this funding to help keep them safe while they continue their noble work,” Trahan said.
Trahan voted in late March to pass the third coronavirus relief package known as the CARES Act, which allocated $850 million in funding for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant
program to provide immediate relief to state and local governments responsible for administering emergency services on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.
Recipients of this funding are able to use it to support overtime, acquisition of PPE, additional supplies like gloves and masks, training, as well as to address the medical needs of
inmates.
Last week, Trahan returned to Washington to pass the Heroes Act, legislation that provides $3 trillion in immediate relief for heroes on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, working families, small businesses, and more.
In addition to the $375 billion in funding to assist local governments and
$500 billion in aid to state governments to continue paying front-line workers and first responders, the Heroes Act also includes another $300 million in funding for the Byrne JAG program. The Senate has yet to take up this legislation that would deliver a second round of funding like this to Fitchburg, and other municipalities across the commonwealth.