Grant To Pay For 30 New Police Officers

The city of Spokane has been promised $2.25 million in federal money to help fund 30 new police officers, a police spokesman said Wednesday.

Under the terms of the U.S. Department of Justice grant, the federal government would provide up to $75,000 for each officer for a three-year period, with the city providing the difference for the officers’ training, salary and other costs, spokesman Dick Cottam said.

After three years, the city would assume all costs for the positions.

The City Council will decide if the new officers will be added.

The police department now has 286 officers, giving the city a ratio of 1.5 officers for every 1,000 residents.

The 30 new officers would bring the ratio to 1.66 officers per 1,000 residents, still short of the department’s goal of 1.7 per 1,000, Cottam said.

, DataTimes