The Sumner Police Department received a $321,401 grant to hire another officer for four years.

Sumner police requested the money to cover the position left vacant for more than a year due to budget constraints.

The grant pays the position’s salary for three years with the understanding Sumner fund the position for at least one more year.

Sumner was selected by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to receive the funds.

The award followed an examination of criteria including the crime rate, community policing plans and economic position of the city.

With all the factors, Sumner ranked 23rd out of the 156 agencies applying in Washington state.

“Only 14.3 percent of the agencies that applied were awarded grants,” Mayor Dave Enslow said. “We are honored that Sumner was one of the ones fully awarded.”

Police Chief John Galle said the grant was needed because his department has made all the budget cuts possible.

“Our officers were working really hard to make cuts that the public wouldn’t see, but we were out of options, especially with this position sitting unfilled for so long,” Galle said.

“Now, the COPS grant, along with other grants we have received, will allow us to continue working with citizens to keep crime from happening rather than only respond to crime after it happens.”

The COPS grant follows other 2009 grants the police department has received, including:

• $32,835 from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance to purchase improved technology and support community-oriented policing projects (also a grant funded by federal stimulus money);

• $93,682.50 from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs to fund an officer for a year to work as a gang prevention officer;

• $4,800 from a Traffic Safety Equipment Grant for patrol equipment; and

• $25,000 from the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority to purchase a vehicle for a detective assigned to the regional auto theft task force.

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