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HOLLIDAYSBURG -- Blair County has been awarded $4.3 million from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to upgrade law enforcement communication equipment in 2023 and 2024.
The money is expected to help the county's sheriff's office and 911 center, in addition to municipal police departments, acquire new equipment, replace outdated equipment and pay for training.
"This is like Christmas for us," said Lt. Kermit Alwine of the county sheriff's office, who collected information in mid-October for the grant application. "For six years I've been trying to get new radios, but at $8,600 each, you can see why that's a financial burden."
Freedom Township Police Sgt. Tyler Grigg, who attended Tuesday's announcement of the grant award at the courthouse, said his department is grateful to the county for its pursuit.
"Our budgets don't provide the money to afford this," Grigg said.
Sherry Socie, strategic planning officer with the Blair County Planning Commission, helped prepare the county's grant application submitted with a request for $5.3 million.
The announcement of the $4.3 million award, Socie said, didn't specify what proposed expenses were removed or changed. But that information is expected to become available in January during a meeting with PCCD personnel, she added.
As proposed, the grant asked for money to pay for 227 portable radios, 110 vehicle radios, 87 computer tablets and 21 base stations that the county's 911 Center will distribute for use in the sheriff's office and in 14 municipal police departments: Allegheny Township, Altoona, Bellwood, Blair Township, Duncasville, Freedom Township, Greenfield Township, Hollidaysburg, Logan Township, Martinsbug, North Woodbury Township, Roaring Spring, Tyrone and Williamsburg.
The grant application also asked for 25 body cameras and 11 vehicle cameras specifically for use by the sheriff's office.
Sheriff James Ott declined to predict how soon the equipment will be purchased or ready for installation. He also cautioned that the grant award needs to be further reviewed to see if the body cameras and vehicle cameras were approved within the $4.3 million allocation.
If they were approved, then once the county commissioners adopt a resolution accepting the grant, the equipment purchases can be pursued, Ott said, with the grant providing the reimbursement of the expense.
At Tuesday's commissioners meeting, commissioner Chairman Bruce Erb congratulated those involved in the pursuit of the grant and recognized retiring Social Services Director James Hudack of the county's social services department who contributed information in support of Crisis Intervention Training, known as CIT, for law enforcement officers.
Alwine told commissioners at their meeting that he was very pleased with the amount awarded, a few short weeks after he and others scurried to compile the grant application in late October.
"Without a team effort, this would have never happened," Alwine said.
Socie also said Tuesday that Blair County's award of $4.3 million was the fourth largest among 197 grant recipients in the state, with Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Allentown receiving larger amounts.
PCCD provided grants for law enforcement improvements by setting aside $120 million allocated through the American Rescue Plan Act.
Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.