“I am pleased that these new federal funds will enable our local police and first responders to be better equipped and better prepared.  It goes without saying that law enforcement and emergency response officials deserve all the support possible to ensure that they have the tools necessary to protect our communities and homeland,” said Rep. Schwartz.

Montgomery County Grants Secured by Representative Schwartz

Eastern Montgomery County Emergency Response Group

These funds will be used to support law enforcement training activities conducted by the Eastern

Montgomery County Emergency Management Group, which is a partnership between emergency

management officials from 14 townships and boroughs, who protect 33 percent of the county’s population.

These funds will be distributed through the Department of Justice’s Edward Byrne Discretionary Grant

Program.

Whitemarsh Township Police Department

These funds will be used by the Whitemarsh Township Police Department, PA to purchase law

enforcement technologies, including in-car equipment/cameras. These funds will be distributed through the

Department of Justice’s COPS Enforcement Technology Program.

Abington Township Police Department

These funds will be used to install a Global Positioning System (GPS), which will be used by dispatchers to more strategically assign police officers to an incident.  These funds will be distributed through the Department of Justice’s COPS Enforcement Technology Program.

These initiatives were included in the Fiscal Year 2007 Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations Bill, which passed the House June 29, 2006 by a vote of 393 to 23. While the grants were included in the legislation that passed yesterday, specific dollar amounts will be allocated at a later date. The next step is for the bill to be approved by the Senate, and then signed into law by President Bush.  Fiscal Year 2007 begins on October 1, 2007.

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