Mich. township eyes COPS grant

By Sharon Sturdevant
Kalamazoo Gazette

MARTIN TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Discussions continue about whether Martin Township should seek grant funds to hire a sheriff's deputy and enter an agreement that would help library patrons more easily borrow books from other facilities. Both topics initially were discussed during a March 11 township meeting but likely will come up again when the Board of Trustees next meet at 7 p.m. April 8.

Board members agreed to express some interest in a federal grant program that may help local municipalities fund enhanced law enforcement coverage.

The grant funding would be provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 through the competitive COPS Hiring Recovery Program to help law enforcement agencies create and preserve jobs, Allegan County Sheriff Blaine Koops said. CHRP grants would pay the entry-level salary and benefits for a specific police officer during an initial three-year period, Koops wrote in a March 2 letter.

The municipality then would need to fund the position for additional time. More details about the grant program should be released soon, but Koops said he needed to know as soon as possible if any local municipalities are interested in the opportunity, township Supervisor Terry Sturgis said.

"Expressing interest now doesn't mean we've automatically bought the contract," Sturgis said. Sturgis and the other board members agreed to put the township on an interested waiting list but want more detailed information about the specific salary amount and how long the position would need to be retained.

Copyright 2009 Kalamazoo Gazette