Helper City Police Chief Chris Gigliotti informed the mayor and city council of a grant that was recently awarded to the city’s police department. This was announced during last week’s council meeting.
Chief Gigliotti stated that he submitted this grant application quite some time ago and assumed that they did not receive it. However, he was pleasantly surprised on Dec. 13 to discover that the Helper Police Department was awarded the funds.
The grant is from the Alcohol & Drug Fee Committee (ADF), which has a goal to provide agencies with needed equipment for the detection, arrest and prosecution of impaired drivers. The committee uses a number of criteria to determine the awarding of equipment and funds each year.
The grant is in the sum of $10,000 and the police chief stated that the monies are intended for in-car video systems, which the department has been without for some time. The funds will make all of the department’s vehicles operable with video.
The video system costs $9,967 and the grant also covers three portable breath tests (PBTs), which are worth $1,200. This is not a matching grant, but rather a compensation grant, which means that the city will pay for the equipment and be reimbursed.
Chief Gigliotti expressed his excitement over the grant, stating that video evidence is important in these cases.