Central Florida law enforcement gets federal help for community policing

Several Central Florida law enforcement agencies have received federal funds to help with community policing.

The Department of Justice recently gave out almost $400 million in grant funding through the Community-Oriented Policing Hiring Hrogram.

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The Orange County Sheriff’s Office and police departments in Orlando, St. Cloud and Palm Bay recently received federal grant money to hire more officers in hopes of strengthening relations in the community.

“It will allow us to hire officers that we want to put in our neighborhood patrol unit program,” Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolón said. “It was a program that I was a part of. It’s a program that assigns officers to specific neighborhoods, so they are then in charge of that neighborhood to engage with the community, to connect with the community and enhance the conditions there.”

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The $1.25 million awarded to his department will help hire 10 more officers, Rolon said.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office received $2.5 million, which will create 20 new positions.

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