Haverhill to Use $35,083 Federal Justice Assistance Grant to Buy All-Terrain Vehicles

(WHAV News file photograph.)

Haverhill and Lawrence are among area communities sharing in $160,000 in federal grants aimed at preventing and controlling crime.

Congresswoman Lori Trahan said Wednesday Haverhill received $35,083 and Lawrence $52,624 from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.

“Throughout the 3rd District, our law enforcement officers and first responders go above and beyond the call of duty every day to keep our communities safe,” said Trahan.

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program is the leading source of federal justice money for state and local governments. The program provides funds necessary to support a wide range of program areas including law enforcement, prosecution, indigent defense, crime prevention and education; corrections, drug treatment and enforcement, technology improvement, crime victim and witness initiatives; and mental health programs, including behavioral programs and crisis intervention teams.

Haverhill Mayor James J. Fiorentini said Haverhill police plan to use the grant to purchase three All-Terrain Vehicles to help officers patrol the city’s expansive rural areas, including recreational parks, woodlands and walking trails.

“The Haverhill Police Department has relied on the JAG grant for many years to purchase additional equipment to fight crime and benefit the public,” Fiorentini said, noting the police department used a similar award last year to purchase a firearms training simulator.

Lawrence Mayor Kendrys Vasquez said “Lawrence has been able to provide our law enforcement professionals with state-of-the-art tools like our citywide camera system which we would not otherwise be able to afford to acquire or to maintain. These tools have exponentially increased the Department’s ability to close cases, reduce crime and keep our city safe.”

Last year, Trahan supported passage of the CARES Act, which allocated $850 million to the JAG Program for immediate relief to state and local governments providing emergency services on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. The funding was eligible to be used for overtime compensation, acquire personal protective equipment and additional supplies and address the medical needs of those in prison. The CARES Act, for example, gave Haverhill Police Department a $102,000 grant to bolster COVID-19 response efforts.

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