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NEWS ADVISORY July 29, 2009 For immediate release MISSOULA WINS FEDERAL GRANT TO FUND POLICE Money will cover five positions for three years The City of Missoula will receive a federal grant under the COPS Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP) to fund five positions for three years in the Police Department, Police Chief Mark Muir and Mayor John Engen learned Tuesday. The Office of Community Policing, a program of the U.S. Department of Justice led by Attorney General Eric Holder, told Chief Muir and Mayor Engen that they could begin the hiring process for these five positions, which will be funded by grant funding of approximately $1,092,230 during three years. Local funds will be required to retain these positions for a fourth year as a requirement of the grant. The CHRP grant funds are designated to hire officers in three primary categories: rehiring of previously eliminated positions; retention of unfunded positions; and new hires for community policing efforts. The Missoula Police Department applied for funding of seven positions, some in each of the funding categories. City officials do not know yet which of those positions were granted, but the original application included three officers eliminated from the department’s Street Crimes Unit, two Community Resource officers and new positions for Drug Diversion and a Parks officer. This grant announcement is very good news the City of Missoula, which was selected for these funds based on strict criteria. The included local crime rate, current budget/fiscal needs and community policing efforts. Each state was entitled to $5 million, and Missoula received five of the 28 positions in Montana. “This grant comes at just the right time for the City of Missoula,” Mayor Engen said. “While we’re ready to make do with the resources we have, this federal support gives us the flexibility to do the best police work possible. It’s great for our officers, too, who have been working hard and without complaint through tough economic times. Everyone’s a winner with the COPS program.” ---PAGE BREAK--- The Department has been struggling with staffing issues since last September following several retirements and three positions that had to be left unfilled because of City budget reductions. The process for hiring officers is under way, and these positions will be filled as soon as possible. Re- staffing a lost position can take up to six to eight months, depending on the applicant’s experience level upon hiring. # Contacts: Mark Muir Chief of Police City of Missoula 552-6316 Ginny Merriam Public Information/Communications Officer City of Missoula 552-6007; 546-7692