Police in Haverhill will buy non-lethal weapons, while Lawrence Police will add a new marked cruiser as a result of grants awarded under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.
Congresswoman Lori Trahan said Wednesday Haverhill is receiving $34,493 to continue the police department’s purchase of nonlethal equipment to help de-escalate situations involving volatile, aggressive and assaultive individuals. She added the department used a similar grant last year to begin the purchase of tasers and ballistic shields for officers. Lawrence was awarded $37,617 to purchase a new cruiser to help improve the department’s response times, officer safety, and overall community trust in law enforcement.
“As a proud supporter of federal programs like Byrne JAG that deliver funding directly to local police departments, I’m glad to see these awards that will better support officers in our gateway cities. I look forward to continuing my work with local police chiefs and community leaders to identify additional steps we can take to better support our local law enforcement,” Trahan said in a statement.
Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett added, “The Haverhill Police Department applies annually for this grant, and this year the funding will be put towards purchasing tasers, which are proven to assist with de-escalation during use of force encounters.”
In the same statement, Lawrence Mayor Brian A. DePeña called the grant “a blessing.”