Lynn lands $750G fed COPS grant

LYNN – Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy is poised to hire up to six new police officers who will be paid for through a $750,000 federal grant.”I know this will end eventually, but for now I’m going to continue to use it to beef up the police force,” Kennedy said.U.S. Rep. John Tierney said in a statement that Lynn would be the recipient of the $750,000 grant courtesy of the Community-Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program. A program of the U.S. Department of Justice, the goal of COPS is to advance the practice of community policing, and it does so through sharing information and grants.”As our cities and towns continue to struggle to do more with less, these federal dollars will allow the Lynn Police Department to hire six additional officers and go a long way toward helping Lynn law enforcement officers keep our families and local community safe,” Tierney said.Kennedy said receiving the grant had previously allowed Police Chief Kevin Coppinger to put the resource officers back in the schools and put community liaison teams, or beat officers, back on the streets.”There is not one neighborhood without a CLT in it,” Kennedy said.Coppinger said the new officers would bring the department back to levels it hasn’t seen in years.”With more officers available, we will have more opportunities to better combat crime and improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods,” he added. Kennedy said the new officers will bring the number in the department to 187, up from a low of 166 several years ago.Kennedy is also working with Fire Chief Dennis Carmody to hire eight additional firefighters, who will be funded through a similar grant.She said they spent Monday reviewing applications and narrowed their choices to eight.Staffing levels within the Fire Department have been in flux for much of the year, with older firefighters retiring as fast as new recruits are being hired, Carmody said recently.New recruits also come with a lag time from the start of their training to when they’re put in the field full time.Carmody said last spring his goal was to maintain 180 firefighters, but with the addition of eight new recruits he will be up to 188 firefighters from a previous low of 166.”The goal is 195,” Kennedy said.The concern, however, is that the grants will run out. The COPS grant will pay the salaries for what is believed to be the first two years, but then the city must find the means to maintain the cost.”At some point those grants may run out, but I will take my chances,” Kennedy said. “Who knows what the economy will be like in two years?”Chris Stevens can be reached at [email protected].