Grant, Donation to Kit Out Police

More than $30,000 in donations and grant money will help city police officers see in the dark and predict the future.

Last week, the Fredericksburg City Council appropriated a $20,000 grant received by the police department from the federal Justice Assistance Grant program. The money will go to the purchase of crime analysis software which police hope to use forecasting crime patterns. Included in the funding are costs for installation and a year of maintenance and user training.

In the same measure, Council also appropriated the other $10,000, which comes from a donation from the National Housing Trust solicited through a partnership between the police department and the management of Hazel Hill Apartments. The money will be used to buy two lightweight thermal night-vision scopes for "tactical observation".