THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 8, 1994 TAG: 9410080324
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KAREN E. QUINONES MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Short : 34 lines
The Police Department will soon hire six new officers - courtesy of a $307,885 grant from the federal government, Mayor Gloria Webb said.
The city has been awarded the grant under a provision of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 - the federal crime bill - which was passed last month.
``I think it's wonderful, and it was a great surprise,'' Webb said. ``We sent in an application quite some time ago in anticipation of the crime bill passing, and we just received the phone call today from Senator Robb's office to say that we were receiving the money.''
Five other other Virginia jurisdictions - Manassas, Richmond, Henrico County, Arlington and Winchester - also received grants, bringing the total received by the state to about $4 million, according to Chris Bridge, a spokeswoman for U.S. Sen. Charles S. Robb.
Initial funding of $200 million will help law-enforcement agencies around the country hire new officers. Another $1 billion will be available in 1995.
Portsmouth now has a 207-officer force, according to police spokesman G.A. Brown.
Webb said she will be in Washington on Wednesday to attend a White House ceremony and officially accept the award.
KEYWORDS: PORTSMOUTH POLICE DEPARTMENT GRANT by CNB