Congressman Secures Dollars For County Law Enforcement
Law enforcement agencies throughout Lycoming County can thank their local congressman and one of their own when funding for equipment and training soon becomes a reality.
Last week Congressman Chris Carney announced funding to secure $100,000 for the Lycoming County Law Enforcement Association, initiated by Muncy Borough Chief of Police Richard Sutton
“I have always been committed to our men and women in uniform, which is why I was proud to secure this amount for the Lycoming County Law Enforcement Association, and the Muncy Borough Police Department,” said Congressman Carney.
“This Community and Officer Safety Grant will go toward necessary training to all Lycoming County law enforcement agencies, which will help keep our community safer, as well as provide better protection for our officers.”
Sutton said he originally requested funding on April 9, 2007 during a meeting with the congressman at Tripoli’s Triggers, an indoor shooting practice range located in Williamsport.
“At that time I was impressed with his background and his ability to communicate with individuals of all educational levels. It’s obvious that he is pro law enforcement and continually demonstrates the desire to protect the communities that elected him to Congress,” Sutton said.
The grant provided for Lycoming County will serve 17 agencies and will be an additional tool that law enforcement officers will use to protect the communities they serve.
There will also be additional protection for the safety of each individual officer, said Sutton.
The grant will purchase 85 TAZERS, 90 training cartridges, 400 duty cartridges, and 18 stop sticks, Sutton said, plus dollars to train each department.
“The days of individual departments requesting and getting government funds are gone,” he said, noting that his request benefits county law officers.
Chief Sutton continued, “I would like to personally thank Congressman Carney for providing Lycoming County with this grant. I’m also very pleased that he took time out of his busy schedule to call me personally, not using a secretary or other assistant.”
Congressman Carney also announced funding for the following projects in Lycoming County: $450,000 for the wireless digital video surveillance system for the city of Williamsport; $100,000 for the YWCA of Northcentral Pennsylvania in Williamsport to support the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program, which finds safe and permanent homes for abused and neglected children that have been adjudicated through the courts; secured $190,000 for Susquehanna Health in Williamsport to create a new Hazardous Material Decontamination Center.
H.R. 1105, the Omnibus Appropriations Act, passed in the U.S. House of Representatives with a vote of 245-178. It now heads to the U.S. Senate, and President Obama is expected to sign it into law.