The City of Portsmouth has been awarded grants worth nearly $45,000 to help fight crime.
All that’s left is for Portsmouth City Council to accept the funds and, in some cases, approve spending matching dollars.
The State of Ohio awarded $9,150 for the body-worn camera program. This money goes to pick up the tab for software licensing for the cameras.
The city will also get $10,210 to pay for in-car cameras. The Portsmouth Police Department must spend a matching amount to qualify for the grant.
The city was also awarded $34,067 in confidential funds to provide to the Southern Ohio Drug Task Force. The Portsmouth Police Department will kick in $11,355 in matching funds.
These items are up for a first reading at Monday’s council meeting. After three readings, the council will vote on whether to accept the grant money and approve spending the matching funds. They also have the option to skip the three readings and pass the funding as an emergency measure.