(The Center Square) – The King County Sheriff’s Office will receive $2 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Justice to pay for body-worn cameras for deputies and for hiring mental health professionals as part of King County’s crisis intervention team.
The allocation is one of more than a dozen for law enforcement agencies in western Washington, acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman said Wednesday. Funding is provided through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Byrne Grant Program.
Gorman said $918,880 was also awarded to the city of Seattle as fiscal agent for a dozen neighboring jurisdictions to support local needs ranging from specialized equipment to community outreach programs.
Seattle itself will receive $369,623 to fund anti-crime coordinators who will help special-needs populations such as the elderly, immigrant or disabled persons.
Pierce County and the City of Tacoma will receive $358,803 for youth crime reduction programs in the city and for sex offender records management and notifications in the county.
“But even the smaller grants can make a big difference in jurisdictions where leaders have identified specific needs in their communities,” Gorman said in a press statement.
Other funding recipients include:
Clark County, $140,576 to strengthen community police and public protection;Bellingham/Whatcom County, $47,374 for civil disturbance unit equipment, officer safety equipment, and citizen engagement software;Kitsap County, $45,613 to purchase a police training simulator;Lakewood, $45,051 for video monitoring equipment and crime analysis software;Everett, $39,544 for polygraph and police pursuit equipment;Auburn, $38,323 for fireworks emphasis patrols;Bremerton, $17,240 for crime prevention activities and initiatives;Port Angeles/Clallam County, $13,720 for body-worn cameras;Marysville, $13,541 for fingerprint equipment, street cameras, and language programs;Puyallup, $13,396 for automated fingerprint equipment;Longview, $11,852 for a school resource officer;Lynnwood, $11,780 for firearms and accessories for officers;Shoreline, $11,310 for less-lethal equipment;Des Moines, $10,861 for de-escalation tools.
The Byrne grants are named in memory of New York City police officer Edward R. Byrne, who was killed in the line of duty on Feb. 26, 1988. He was 22.
