Scranton city don plan to apply for $750,000 in federal and state grants to upgrade police technology and help with officer recruitment, retention and training. Last Tuesday, Scranton City Council unanimously introduce two resolutions from the administration of Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti.
The grants include $500,000 for technological equipment upgrades and $250,000 for officer recruitment, retention and training. Council President Tom Schuster and members Patrick Flynn, Mark McAndrew, Sean McAndrew and Jessica Rothchild vote yes to introduce each resolution.
The technology grant, from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) office, go replace outdated, costly technology with a modern integrated system wey go improve efficiency, transparency and public safety, according to the pending legislation.
The Police Department plan to put a Real Time Crime Center and administrative offices on the second floor of an annex the city dey buy at the former Fidelity Bank branch next to City Hall. The building go need some security upgrades before the Police Department fit occupy the second floor, and then outfitting that floor with technology for a Real Time Crime Center go take some time, Police Chief Thomas Carroll tell council during a caucus last Tuesday.
The pending grant legislation say upgraded surveillance and communications systems are essential to meet rising demands of crime fighting and law enforcement; and the funding go allow the city to implement critical security upgrades and acquire an advanced drone system to enhance public safety, emergency response and situational awareness. As the city dey grow, these security enhancements go increase operational efficiency, improve coordination during critical incidents and ensure the police department dey equipped to meet evolving public safety needs.
The other grant, from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, dey for police officer recruitment, retention and training. The department continues to face significant challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified law enforcement personnel amid increased competition from surrounding agencies. This grant go establish incentives for hiring up to 10 Act 120-certified officers wey transfer to the city Police Department; and pay retention bonuses of $10,000 for officers to stay beyond retirement eligibility (25 years of service and age 55).
These initiatives go help preserve institutional knowledge, reduce staffing vacancies, minimize overtime and maintain consistent public safety services. The grant go provide assistance with repaying Act 120 tuition to remove barriers for potential recruits. The city go sponsor up to 10 police academy recruits by covering tuition and related costs of $9,000 per recruit. E go support advanced command and leadership training for supervisors, with up to 10 participating annually in nationally recognized leadership development courses.
We want to make sure dem get the latest and greatest tools in technology, and the education, the training wey dey go along with this, Carroll say. E say we fit buy all the technology for the world, but if we no get solid people to operate that technology, e worthless. Carroll also say during the caucus that the police force dey at 80% strength, wey reflect broader challenges in recruitment and staffing shortages wey police departments and the military dey face.
We face the same challenges wey other police departments and actually other organizations and businesses dey face — the staffing shortage, Carroll tell council. During the past four years wey e don be chief, the city don hire approximately 40 officers but also don get numerous departures, mainly through retirements. E dey very tough to get ahead with recruiting today, whether e be military or police, Carroll note, saying for example that last week the department get one officer retire and one swear in. The department don use grants to fund overtime and put more officers for street.
We get a deficiency. However, I like to say we dey lean because we dey do more with less and the officers, as you fit see, dey perform magnificently. Right now e no be detriment to us, but e no be something we want to sustain long-term over the years, Carroll say.
