Fort Wayne, Ind. – The City of Fort Wayne today announced that the Fort Wayne Police Department has received a $1.25 million Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant to hire 10 additional police officers to serve the community.

A resolution seeking City Council’s approval to participate in the grant will be introduced at City Council’s meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 26, with discussion scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 3 and possible final passage on Tuesday, Dec. 10. The City will provide a percentage of matching funds as part of the grant. The funding would be part of the City’s 2015 budget.

The academy class for the 10 grant-funded officers is tentatively scheduled to begin in January 2015.

COPS is the office of the U.S. Department of Justice that advances the practice of community policing in America’s state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies. COPS does its work principally by sharing information and making grants to police departments around the United States.

“This is great news for our community. To be able to add police officers to serve and protect citizens and businesses is a big win for Fort Wayne,” said Police Chief Rusty York. “Our department is committed to providing the best services possible and being accessible to the public.”

“Investing in public safety is critical in our efforts to being a City that values quality of life, strong neighborhoods, and being a vibrant place for business and job growth,” said Mayor Tom Henry. “We want citizens and businesses to feel safe and be encouraged about the future of Fort Wayne. By having additional police resources, we’re going to continue with the positive momentum in our community.”
Earlier this year, local funding was approved to hire 20 new police officers. The academy class for those officers will begin in early 2014.