Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Grants from the federal and state governments have made it possible for the Warsaw Police Department to hire four new officers since 1995.
Part of the focus of a crime bill passed by Congress and President Clinton in 1994 was to put 100,000 new police officers on the streets in five years. Legislation helped make applications easier for police departments to fill out and made more money available through grants to cover the initial costs of hiring officers.
According to Warsaw Police Chief Craig Allebach, Warsaw applied for the federal grant money through the Cops-Fast Program and was able to hire Clay Layne in May 1995. The next officer hired through a similar federal grant was Joe Stanley in July 1996, and Greg Oberlin was hired Jan. 4.
Through the program, the department receives $75,000 over three years and must match 25 percent of that amount, usually through the benefit package the department offers. According to Allebach, the department already budgets the money for the officers' salary before the grant money is scheduled to run out. The grant money actually goes into the general fund of the department to offset the other budget costs.
Since 1995, the department has received $225,000 from the federal government.
Early this year, Indiana Gov. Frank O'Bannon passed legislation to give police departments in the state more money to hire additional officers. Warsaw was able to get $100,000 over three years to hire and equip Scott D. Whitaker, hired Sept. 13. Warsaw was also able to get $86,000 worth of software and hardware for the new patrol car computers through the grant.
