$800,000 in grants to be dedicated to community safety

LOMBARD, Illinois— Today more than ever, safety is an important factor on everyone's mind. The Lombard Police Department has increased safety in the community by receiving a number of grants that have been dedicated to the community safety.

Since 2003, more than $800,000 in grants has been received by the Village from state agencies, primarily the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC.)

Officer Joe Grage of Lombard's Traffic Safety Unit has been writing the grants since that time. The grants must be reapplied for each year and the competition for the funding is fierce.

“Lombard has a great track record for its safety campaigns,” said Officer Joe Grage of Lombard's Traffic Safety Unit. “We are committed through our traffic unit to keep safety first and foremost in the eyes of the community,” Grage added.

Many of the safety grants are for programs that involve seatbelt safety, railroad safety and extra holiday enforcements. All of these programs add to the safety of the community.

“All of this grant funding has allowed us to put additional police officers on the street to increase enforcement, increase safety and reduce crashes,” said Lombard Police Chief Ray Byrne.

The Lombard Traffic Safety Unit will continue to apply for grants to enable the village to benefit from additional officers on the street educating and promoting safety in the community.

During the past few years, all village departments have been looking at various ways to save money, reduce village expenditures and combine resources yet still deliver the same quality services that Lombard residents expect to receive. Dedicating additional officers to community safety program through grant funding is one such way the Lombard Police Department is doing just that.