Bloomsburg University Police awarded $295,000 grant

The Bloomsburg University Police Department, part of Commonwealth University, was one of more than 220 law enforcement agencies, and county district attorneys' offices throughout Pennsylvania that were awarded part of $170 million from Gov. Tom Wolf through two new programs designed to improve community safety and support local law enforcement. 

"These grant programs are one more tool in our toolbox to create safer communities across Pennsylvania," Wolf said. "With adequate resources, our local law enforcement and investigative offices can better protect and serve." 

Bloomsburg University police were awarded $295,531, the largest of the five grants distributed in Columbia County, from the Local Law Enforcement Support (LLES) program. The money will fund a new emergency radio system for the campus police. Among the items to be purchased will be new repeaters on Nelson Field House, Lycoming Hall, and the Andruss Library. Also, new hand-held radios for each officer, new radios for each cruiser, and new CAD (computer-aided dispatch) software. 

The new system will also allow Bloomsburg University police to communicate with the Town of Bloomsburg police since their systems are not currently compatible. 

"I'd like to thank Gov. Wolf for securing the funds that will allow the Bloomsburg University police to upgrade vital equipment that will continue to make our campus safe and secure," said Bashar W. Hanna, Commonwealth University president. "It is important for families to know that our police are operating with the latest technology to keep students safe." 

The LLES program provides law enforcement agencies with the necessary resources to implement information technology improvements, purchase or upgrade equipment, cover nontraditional law enforcement personnel costs, support retention and recruitment efforts, and provide necessary training. 

All officers of the Bloomsburg University Police Department are Act 120 certified and receive state-mandated yearly training that exceeds state standards and provides full range of law enforcement services 24 hours every day, 365 days a year. The department offers a variety of resources for crime deterrence and response, including uniform patrol, bicycle patrols, investigators, community outreach, and other support services. The officers work closely with area federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies as well as the Bloomsburg fire department.