Washington, DC--- Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) announced the United States House of Representatives has designated funding for three public safety projects in Fairfield County as part of the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Act (HR 2847). The broad bill makes critical investments in the nation’s public safety, including $298 million to hire more police officers and $529 million in grants to help law enforcement entities fight and prevent crime.
“Investing in public safety helps keep our communities great places to live and run a business,” said Congressman Himes. “These are smart investments in less-costly preventive and monitoring measures that will save us in the long-run.”
The Light House After-School Program in Bridgeport will receive $350,000 in federal funding. This program provides productive, safe, and secure learning alternatives for disadvantaged youth who have little access to more costly tuition-based after-school activities.
The Fresh Start Re-Entry Program in Norwalk will receive $900,000. Family Re-Entry will use the funds to support training and rehabilitation services to support ex-offenders to reduce recidivism and to complete a Yale University study evaluating the program.
The Connecticut State Police will receive $175,000 to help upgrade its outdated vehicle recording system from VHS to a state-of-the-art digital system. The updated system will allow officers to easily capture and record both video and audio evidence. This upgrade will also provide long-term cost savings to the Department by reducing the time required to retrieve and copy evidence.
The Appropriations bill now heads to the Senate for approval.