McKeesport police get federal grant

By JEFF STITT
jstitt@yourmvi.com
McKeesport police Chief Adam Alfer and Mayor Michael Cherepko said city police officers will benefit in multiple ways from a $119,006 Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The funding, which city officials worked with U.S. Attorney Scott Brady’s staff to obtain, will be used for payroll and overtime costs, to purchase personal protective equipment and to have police facilities properly sanitized.
“McKeesport police officers shoulder a great responsibility in carrying out their sworn duty to protect and serve, especially during this public health crisis,” Brady said. “I am hopeful this $119,006 from the Justice Department will help McKeesport police officers in their public safety duties while also ensuring their own health and safety. I also encourage all of our local law enforcement agencies to apply for these critical grants.”
The grant money can be used “for the most pressing needs of our state and local partners, including new hiring and overtime pay, training, critical personal protective equipment and supplies, and the medical needs of prisoners,” Brady said.
CherepMcKeesport police get federal grantko is “extremely grateful” for the funding, and said it’s going to allow the city to “better equip the McKeesport Police Department with the manpower, personal protective equipment, and cleaning supplies necessary to ensure our officers’ safety during these uncertain times when our society is deeply affected by COVID-19.”
“Our daily procedures and interactions are impacted by the standards set forth by national and state leaders, and McKeesport police will continue to operate under the recommended guidelines thanks to this funding,” he said.
In its grant application, the city explained that grant dollars and additional part-time officers were needed to supplement daily personnel needs, to have officers who are ready and willing to work if another city police officer is exposed to or infected by COVID-19 and to assist with crowd control at pandemic-related giveaway events, distributions and clinics.
A portion of the money will be used for payroll costs associated with the hiring of part-time officers during the coronavirus pandemic.
Alfer said the pandemic relief funding will help his department “cope” with “unavoidable” overtime costs.
The McKeesport department, like many police agencies located in judicial districts that saw magisterial and common pleas court closures due to pandemic-related emergency judicial orders from the state supreme and superior courts, anticipates seeing a rise in overtime costs once in-person court proceedings are heard at the magisterial and common pleas court level.
That’s because arresting police officers will need to appear in-person for any proceedings that have been postponed or weren’t able to be held virtually or via phone due to pandemic closures. Plus they’ll still be expected to perform their regular daily duties and appear in court for new cases.
“This grant is going to help us operate effectively and efficiently in our community as we all work to get through the COVID-19 pandemic,” Alfer said.
A portion of the funding will also be used to purchase face masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, contactless thermometers and other PPE and to have police vehicle and the station professionally sanitized.
“We are able to purchase more supplies and continue to sanitize our building and our vehicles in order to protect our community,” Alfer said. “We want to ensure the safety of our officers and limit the publics’ exposure through these continued protective measures.”
The grant is available under the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, authorized by the recent stimulus legislation signed by President Donald Trump, Brady said.
Law enforcement agencies that would like to learn more about how to apply can visit www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/grants or contact Brady’s Pittsburgh office at 412-644-3500.