LYNN — The Police Department has been awarded a $493,448 state grant to address its staffing shortfalls.
Announced by members of the Lynn legislative delegation on Monday, the funding was awarded through the Massachusetts Municipal Public Safety Staffing Grant (MUNI), which is administered by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s (EOPPS) Office of Grants and Research.
The City of Lynn was among 10 communities to receive this state grant, which will be used to address police personnel needs, according to the Lynn delegation.
“We greatly appreciate the Lynn Police Department for doing all they can to keep our community safe,” said state Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) in a statement. “We will continue to support funding to make sure they have the resources they need.”
The Lynn Police Department has 183 officers, and the ideal staffing level is 199, said Police Lt. Michael Kmiec.
These funds can be used in a variety of ways to support personnel needs, including recruitment, retention, shift coverage, and overtime payments.
This is not a first-time award for Lynn, which has received this grant in previous years.
“These MUNI grant funds are instrumental in ensuring our public-safety teams are adequately staffed so they can keep our communities and residents safe,” said state Rep. Peter Capano (D-Lynn) in a statement.
State Rep. Donald Wong (R-Saugus) said the grant will help to bring the city’s police force up to the level it should be to keep the community safe.
State Rep. Daniel Cahill (D-Lynn) praised the Lynn Police Department’s annual efforts in applying for and receiving these funds.
“Thank you to EOPPS for their continued support of urban police departments that face a myriad of situations regarding enhanced training and experience to meet the community’s needs,” said Cahill in a statement.
