Quick Take
The Watsonville Police Department is receiving a $22,285 federal grant that will help fund the department’s ongoing efforts to understand crime patterns within the city.
The Watsonville Police Department will receive a federal grant that will help fund the department’s ongoing efforts to understand crime patterns within the city and to determine how to approach those issues.
The department has received $22,285 from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program, a federal program that provides states and local governments with funding to support personnel, equipment and supplies.
Watsonville police plan to use the money to continue funding its crime analysis software, according to a city staff report. The department relies on crime analysis as a tool to “enhance public safety” by identifying patterns, which allows it to determine where to allocate resources and create crime prevention strategies.
“The support provided through the grant will give the Watsonville Police Department another valuable tool to better understand crime trends in our community and where our resources are needed most,” Police Chief Brian Shab said in the media release.
Shab added that the information will be used as a guide for his department, and aims to allow officers to focus their efforts on where they might have “the greatest impact” and work toward making Watsonville a safer community.
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