Richfield Public Safety Receives Nearly $250K to Hire More Officers

Sens. Al Franken (D-MN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced that along with five other area police departments would receive a portion of $1.2 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to hire additional police officers. Richfield will receive $247,646 of the allotted funds.

"The first responsibility of government is to protect the safety of its citizens,” Klobuchar said in a press release. “As a former prosecutor, I understand the strain budget shortfalls place on local law enforcement. This funding will help local governments put officers on the streets and keep our communities safe.”

According to the release, the funds, which are provided through the DOJ's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), will cover the full salary and benefits packages for highly trained police officers in each community for three years.

The other five Minnesota departments receiving funding included Bagley Police Department ($175,740), City of Grand Rapids ($245,184), Hopkins Police Department ($242,266), Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians ($168,278), and Upper Sioux Indian Community ($157,884).