Federal grant gives boost to Trenton Police

TRENTON, N.J. (WPVI) -- Police in Trenton are getting a big boost, thanks to a federal grant.

Money for more police draws lots of attention. That's why political heavyweights including New Jersey's two US senators, Cory Booker and Robert Menendez, joined city officials and Trenton police brass on Thursday to tout the awarding of a $1.5 million grant to hire 12 new officers

Senator Menendez says, "If you want to attract economic opportunity, if you want to see businesses open and grow, you want to see kids being able to go to school without the fear that on the way to school they could be in the midst of a crossfire, as happened here in Trenton, then you need the police officers that can create that safety."

The C.O.P.S. grant, which stands for Community Oriented Policing Services, pays 75 percent of salary and benefits for three years. The city must pay the rest.

Trenton Police Director Ernest Parrey tells us, "The department has in fact been decimated by all our losses due to the layoffs and the economic struggles of the city. This is just a step in the right direction for us."

The city currently has 224 police officers. The 12 new officers will add to the 24 recruits sworn in just last month. It's all part of the rebuilding effort after a third of the force was laid off three years ago.

Mayor Eric Jackson says, "So that means really putting 36 more officers back on the street in 2015. That is huge for our community, where we have a great police force working very hard now, Nora, but we'll have more officers on the beat out on the street helping our residents stay safe."

Mayor Jackson's appearance at the event comes a day after he was released from the hospital. He was kept overnight Tuesday suffering from a stomach flu.

He said, "The work of the city has to go forward. I'm not sacrificing my health, but I'm serious about this mission to make our city better. I have great people working around me, but my job is to be here so I am here."

Trenton won a C.O.P.S. grant like this last year, but turned it down because council didn't want to raise taxes to pay the city's share. Mayor Jackson says he's looking over with his financial people now to figure out a way to pay for it.