HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The Guam Police Department has been awarded $2.4 million in federal grants which will go toward hiring, training and outreach.
The department has been awarded $2.4 million, with help from the Leon Guerrero-Tenorio administration, GPD announced in a press release issued Tuesday morning.
“These grants will positively impact GPD initiatives to educate the island’s youth through creative campaigns, provide law enforcement de-escalation training to promote safer and more effective conflict resolution methods, and enable the department to hire more officers,” the department said in the release.
Police Chief Stephen Ignacio called the grants a “significant leap” toward ensuring the island is safer.
“The Guam Police Department stands unwavering in its commitment to the safety and well-being of the people of Guam,” Ignacio said in the release. “The recent grant awards signify a substantial leap toward our collective aspiration for a community that is both secure and harmonious.”
Awards
The total of $2.4 million received by GPD came from three different awards.
The first explained in the release was the FY23 Microgrant Policing Development grant, which was for $172,157. The money will be allocated to the Juvenile Investigation Section to assist in expanding existing youth programs “through training and development and youth-targeted advertising and social media campaigns to reduce incidents of juvenile offenses on Guam.”
The money will help facilitate the training programs and improve outreach with the juvenile demographic, with a special focus on underserved populations, GPD said in the release.
The second was for the amount of $241,420 from the Law Enforcement De-escalation to Training and Staff grant, and will allow GPD to use virtual and augmented reality training programs to help officers hone their de-escalation skills in realistic scenarios.
The third award was for $2,073,969 to help GPD with hiring.
“This substantial funding will be directed toward continuous recruitment and retention initiatives to bolster efforts to attract and retain highly qualified personnel, strengthening the overall capabilities,” the department said.
A police cruiser is seen Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, at the Sgt. Frankie E. Smith Police Station in Tumon.
