Grant funds would aid police work in high crime areas

The City Council is scheduled to hear the first reading of an ordinance Oct. 18 that would allow the City to accept $986,643 in grant funds from the United State Department of Justice to establish a pilot program using a mobile wireless video and audio communications network to allow monitoring of criminal activities in high crime areas. The pilot program would aid the policing efforts of members of the Pierce County Consortium, which includes the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, Puyallup Police Department. The Law Enforcement Support Agency (LESA) is providing the grant management and oversight for the project.