Arlington applied for eight state grants from the governor’s office fund law enforcement and criminal justice initiatives.
The grants, worth up to $1.38 million combined, include funds for victim assistance, officer mental health and a 3D laser scanner. For seven of the grants, Arlington is seeking to renew existing funding.
The grant for the 3D laser scanner is the only new one among the batch. If approved, a staff report form the city says the scanner would be used to document crime scenes with high detail and accuracy. It would provide the city with $150,000 to purchase the scanner without any requirements to match with funds from the city’s budget.
Three of the grants would require the city to provide $146,603 in matching funds: the general victim assistant grant and two grants to combat violence against women. The violence against women grants would pay for the department to hire an intimate partner violence detective and a human trafficking detective.
The grant applications were approved unanimously by the city council as part of the consent agenda at its Tuesday night meeting.
If awarded, one grant would continue funding for the Discover Mentoring program, an initiative in which mentors “work directly with students identified as at risk of academic disengagement, school discipline issues, and behaviors that could otherwise escalate into formal juvenile justice involvement,” according to the staff report about the grant.
Another, focusing on mental health for police officers, would provide up to $100,000 for data-driven mental health platform Mindbase. On its website, Mindbase describes itself as “an effective and confidential agency wellness program.”
Other grants would be used to prevent school truancy, continued funding for victim assistance programs and upgrades to the police department’s digital forensics lab.
The council vote both approved the application for the grants and preemptively accepted any funds that may be awarded.
Got a tip? Email James Hartley at jhartley@kera.org. You can follow James on X @ByJamesHartley.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
