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OPD seeks grants to expand department

OPD
Posted at 11:23 PM, May 17, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-18 15:13:32-04

The Opelousas Police Department (OPD) applied for two grants that will equal $650,000. One grant will go towards adding additional officers to the department. The second grant will go towards technology equipment that will assist officers with responding to different crimes.

During the last city council meeting, Police Chief Martin McLendon received approval from board members to seek a $400,000 grant to hire more officers.

“It’s called a cops grant. It's designed to help agencies to hire officers. To equip them, train them and get them in the field all of those requirements and everything that the officer needs. Also all the funding to pay his salary equipment training everything is paid for by this grant,” said Mark Guidry.

The other $250,000 will be allocated to helping officers solve crimes and locate gun violence.

“We are actually applying for two different grants. 1 is a gun crime initiative grant. Which is a newer grant which is designed to get technology resources into the hands of law enforcement agencies to help fight the crime of gun violence that’s been around everyone. But it’s designed to get us technology equipment to help us solve these cases faster,” Guidry stated.