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Federal grant to pay for extra Orlando police officers

By Micheal Lopardi
By Micheal Lopardi
More than a dozen new police officers will soon be patrolling the streets of Orlando thanks to a federal grant.
Orlando Police Chief John Mina said those officers will be on bike patrol and working in the downtown area near Parramore.
“I think people have a sense of more safety, of feeling more secure, when they see the bike officers out there,” Mina said.
Orlando is one of several local agencies receiving grant money from the Justice Department to expand.
The grant will allow the Orlando Police Department to hire 15 new officers and will cover their salaries for three years.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office already planned to add 42 deputies this year, but the money will help pay for 25 of them.
“We're going to be using them in areas such as Pine Hills,” Mina said.
Chief Deputy Larry Zwieg said the extra manpower will be used toward combating violent crime in the area.
“Increasing our resources out there to make them more visible and more active and stopping crime from happening,” said Zwieg.
Together, the two agencies are receiving a combined $5 million in funding.
Orlando resident Amanda Reise said the extra patrols in Pine Hills have already paid off.
“Feel safer, and you know, people are less prone to get in trouble because they see them (the police),” she said.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando resident Rick Duran would also like to see some of the new officers to be used in the downtown area.

"Fights do break out and it's a good thing (to have) a couple cops here and there that can maybe break that apart quick, before anybody gets hurt," he said.

The grants will cover the new hires for three years.
The agencies plan to keep the officers after that but will have to cover the costs.
The Sheriff's Office plans to fill the positions as new recruits graduate the academy.

Cox Media Group

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