Windsor Locks Police Commission OKs Applying for Federal Funding to Hire Officer

The Windsor Locks Police Commission gave Acting Police Chief Chester DeGray permission to apply for a federal grant that would fund the hiring of a new police officer.

Under the U.S. Department of Justice’s COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) program, the federal government provides 75 percent of the cost of a new police officer over three years. The program requires that the department keep the officer for at least one year after the federal funding ends, Neal Cunningham, former police commission chairman, said.

The commission approved making application to the program at its special meeting Tuesday. Cunningham said members of the finance commission recently requested that the department hire an officer to help reduce the cost of overtime.

The department has been short on staffing since was fired in 2010, after he was arrested in the car accident death of Henry Dang.  Former , Michael’s father, was on paid administrative leave since October 2010 until he was fired in January.

DeGray has said the department has been using overtime to cover all of the open shifts caused by the reduced number of officers.

The police commission hired a conditional officer who must complete training at the state police academy before starting work at the department.

Commission members said the department has used the COPS program in the past to hire an officer.

“This is a cost-effective way to do it,” Cunningham said.