Temple University Police Department awarded $1.7 million grant
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Temple University Police Department was awarded a $1.7 million grant Wednesday by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
The department received the funding weeks after Sgt. Chris Fitzgerald was killed in the line of duty in North Philadelphia.
The grant money will be used for gunshot detection, license plate readers, retention and recruitment bonuses, training and closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, among other things.
"The Shapiro-Davis administration supports the Temple University community as it is grieving the loss of Police Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald," Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis said in a news release. "This grant will help the Temple University Police Department to keep the campus and surrounding neighborhood safe for students and residents."
Democratic state Sen. Vincent Hughes, who represents parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties, advocated for Temple police to receive the award.
"How can we honor the life of a such a positive role model and take steps to prevent this kind of tragedy from ever happening again?" Hughes said in a statement. "We can put the guns down, we can invest in our communities and our young people, and we can make sure more resources, like this grant, make their way to the Temple University Police Department so that its officers are equipped with what they need to stay safe while protecting and serving the Temple community."
The money is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.