The Wilmington Police Department (WPD) is one of 21 local law enforcement agencies in Ohio to receive funds announced Thursday with the overarching goal of helping them strategically combat violence in their communities.

Wilmington Police Department was awarded $194,759 of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly have dedicated to first responders to counter various pressing issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, including violent crime, stated a media release from the governor’s office.

The grant dollars going to WPD are specifically “to pay for retention and/or hiring bonuses to help maintain current law enforcement staffing levels, recruit new officers, and continue ongoing public safety services to prevent and investigate violent crime,” the release added.

DeWine, in partnership with the Ohio General Assembly, created the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program last year to give local law enforcement additional tools to address violence, including increases in crime associated with law enforcement retirements and resignations.

The grant program is funded through both the state operating budget and with ARPA funds. The 21 grants announced Thursday in the seventh round of recipients are all funded through ARPA.