Mansfield police awarded state grant to help with violent crime reduction

The Mansfield Police Department is one of 18 law enforcement agencies in 15 Ohio counties awarded $1.6 million in grant funding to help implement violent crime reduction strategies in their communities.

Mansfield police will receive $120,000 as part of the latest round of the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program. The funding will be used to create a real-time crime center by connecting surveillance data from various sources to identify vehicles and suspects involved in gang violence and gun crimes.

Since the launch of the program in 2021, more than $81 million has been awarded to 175 local law enforcement agencies for targeted programs and enhanced technology that aid in preventing and solving incidents of violent crime.

"The overall goal of this program is to help law enforcement implement public safety strategies that meet the unique needs of their communities, " said Gov. Mike DeWine. "Many agencies have reported success in solving and preventing crime because of these grants, and I'm glad we're able to continue supporting local communities through this program."

The $1.6 million in funding marks the 13th round of the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program. Funding will help agencies pay for investigative overtime costs, new technology to support crime reduction, targeted patrols in high-crime areas and other initiatives.

This is the fourth such grant awarded to Mansfield police since the program began.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Mansfield police awarded Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant