State and federal grants to help Lynn Police increase patrol activity

LYNN, Mass. — The Lynn Police Department will be receiving grants from both the state and federal governments in order to increase their manpower as well as add more patrol units.

The department has recently been stretched thin and has struggled to answer the more than 300 calls they receive every day. During the summer, that call volume typically grows by hundreds.

"You're constantly answering calls, which takes away from other aspects of the job," said patrolman Joe Curley.

A $400,000 dollar grant from the state and a $1.1 million federal grant will help the department of 164 officers increase their fleet from six to 10 cruisers out patrolling the streets per shift, starting this Sunday.

They are also in the process of interviewing for nine additional officer positions.

Lynn Police don't expect the constant cycle of activity in the city to slow down, but they're optimistic the grants will help them better respond to calls.

The increase in patrol cars and manpower to the police department will help with a problem residents have been noticing for a while now.

The demand for police response was always high, but due to a $2.5 million budget deficit last year, the department lost a significant amount of their work force.

Lifelong resident and mother of four, Marina Pena believes she's witnessed the fallout of a strained system.

"It's gotten bad, it's not a good place to raise your kids," said Pena. "A lot of people have moved out of Lynn because of the situation - there's a lot of shootings, fires, a lot of gossip, a lot of drugs."

Starting next week, an increase in street patrols will hopefully help address many of these concerns.

Cox Media Group