LYNN — Residents may notice more police officers riding in cruisers on the city’s streets starting next week.
The state granted Lynn $400,000 in Municipal Public Safety Staffing Grant funding, enough to temporarily restore overtime and deploy more police cars, according to Police Chief Michael Mageary.
“The grant gives a lot more coverage in the city, a lot more police presence and visibility, which is always good,” he said. “We are pleased.”
As a result of an initiative from Gov. Charlie Baker and Safety Secretary Daniel Bennett, Lynn will return to the their full complement of officers and sergeants on patrol which includes four, two-person cruisers, and six, one-man cars.
The one-time money is expected to last through the end of the fiscal year in June and into next year, Mageary said. The city was one of nine communities to share $2.3 million from the state’s Executive Office of Public Safety and Security to assist cities maintain public safety.
Since last year, the department has been faced with a $2.5 million budget deficit. Patrols were reduced to six, two-person cruisers.
The cash will result in 10 police cars patrolling the city, compared to six.
Mageary praised the Lynn delegation on Beacon Hill for helping to make the grant a reality.
State Rep. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) and a candidate for the state senate seat vacated by Mayor Thomas M. McGee, supported the grant.
“Public safety is always a top priority and the Lynn Police Department has been asked to do a lot with a little,” he said. “This will be a big help to put more police on the street.”
State Rep. Daniel Cahill (D-Lynn) said the city is grateful to the governor and Secretary Bennett for their continued investments in law enforcement in Lynn.
“It’s no secret that the Lynn Police Department is in need of greater resources,” he said. “As part of state delegation, I’m happy to work with the Baker administration to have the grant money come to Lynn.”
The cash comes on the heels of a $1.1 million federal Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program grant in December to hire nine officers. The department is in the process of interviewing candidates. When hired, they will send to the 20-plus week at the Police Academy next spring.
The force has 164 officers, down from the peak of about 193 in 2010.
