Board Approves Police Department's Request for Federal Grant

The  received permission to apply for a Federal Justice Assistance Grant.

During Thursday's Board of Alderman work session—which clocked in at a breezy 20 minutes—St. Peters Police Chief Tom Bishop requested the board's approval to apply for a Federal Grant.  Seeking funds to purchase some new items for departmental use, the police have prepared a grant application to secure $10,754 in federal funds.

Bishop outlined the plans for the grant money, should the police get approval, during the work session. Bishop said St. Peters Police would use the money to purchase a downdraft powder station for the crime lab, GPS navigation units, binoculars and preliminary breath test devices with passive testing capability. 

The downdraft powder station, at a cost of $2,250, would allow the crime lab to do fingerprint testing without the powder getting all over the lab. Rogue fingerprint powder can contaminate items not intended for testing, but the downdraft lab controls the powder and eliminates contamination. 

The GPS units would be installed in each of the 26 police cars currently in use. The 26 units would allow officers to easier navigate around St. Peters. The projected cost for the GPS units would be $5,200.

Binoculars used by police aren't really the same everyday people use. The police are hoping to purchase two heavy-duty binoculars at the cost of $1,266 to be used for surveillance purposes. 

Rounding out the items requested are four breath test items used to detect alcohol on the breath of those sampled. The four items would cost $2,210.

In total, the items requested are $10,836—less than the cost of the grant. To cover the difference, the city would have to pay the remaining $82. During Thursday's work session, the board agreed to pick up the tab for the remainder of the bill.