CHICAGO — Violence in the city has garnered Chicago national headlines, and now $2 million in police aid from the federal government.
A $2.3 million grant from the Department of Justice will fund new equipment and "support overtime patrols," Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said Thursday.
“The men and women in law enforcement put their lives on the line day and night to keep our communities safe,” Durbin said in a statement. “This grant funding will help equip those officers with the best, most up-to-date tools to do their jobs effectively and keep residents safe.”
The grant arrives as Chicago police combat shootings and murders that have already surpassed 2015 totals. Mayor Rahm Emanuel will lay out a plan Sept. 20 to curb crime in the city, including a move to hire more police officers.
Justice Department and police spokespeople did not have an immediate comment, but Thursday's grant wasn't the first of its kind Chicago police have received from the Feds.
The Justice Department awarded police $1 million last year for new body cameras, more than $3 million last year to hire 25 new officers, and $2.1 million in 2014 for "law enforcement efforts."
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