Uniontown receives grant to hire a police officer
Uniontown Mayor Ed Fike said a new federal grant will be used to hire another police officer to take another bite out of crime in the city.
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey announced Wednesday that the city was awarded a $177,974 grant from the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services program to cover a new officer’s salary for three years.
“I think that’s taking another bite out of crime,” Fike said.
Uniontown and five other municipalities received $3.6 million in funding from the Justice Department, according to Casey.
“This funding will help make our streets safer and our communities more secure,” Casey said. “Assistance to put more officers on the street is especially important at a time when Pennsylvania’s communities are facing difficult budget decisions.”
“The people in the city can fee more safe and secure with the additional manpower we have. We’re getting this done without affecting our tax base. There is no cost to taxpayers,” Fike said.
The hiring would increase the police department’s complement of officers to 23 from the 16 officers the city had when Fike took office in 2008 and he said he is proud of the young officers who have been hired since then.
“These young officers are in great shape physically. They can run someone down,” Fike said.