9 months ago
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The ban stems from defaulting on a federally funded grant in the 90's known as COPS or Community Oriented Policing Services and rather than paying back the government they agreed not to take federal monies for three-years.
Katherine Forret has lived in Austin most of her life and says in the past three years the population has doubled, "It has exploded I've lived in this area for about 36-years and where we're living now use to be forest and now it's a large subdivision it just grows all the time."
She continues, "We've had to call police two or three times for minor things and they've always just come right over."
Forret says the police department is helpful, but not growing with the population.
Chief of Police John Staley adds, "We provide 24 hour coverage one officer at a time."
Thursday Chief Staley found out his department isn't eligible for stimulus money. He says, "I wish we could because it would help. Every little bit helps especially in today's economic times. "
Chief Staley applied for 100,000 in stimulus money to pay for a new full-time officer for three years, but won't receive a dime. That's because in 1995 when the old police administration received federal grant money to hire officers the requirement was to retain a specific amount of those officers after the grant ran out.
His department along with Chidester's and Arkansas City's couldn't afford to continue their salaries. So now they're ineligible for current federal funds.
"We're going to keep doing what we're doing with what we've got," Chief Staley adds.
Forret says it doesn't bother her for now, but they will need to hire someone in the next few years if the city keeps growing.
She adds, "I don't see them letting up any just because they don't get the stimulus money. I wish they could get money, but I don't think that would be a problem with how they work."
Chief Staley says they have three full time officers and eight part time. Friday he will start negotiations with the Department of Justice to find out how to become compliant.
Other than that, he plans to get involved with more programs to get incentives for his department.
The police department in Arkansas City will be eligible to apply for federal grants in October 2010 and the Chidester police will be eligible this December.
LIST OF BANNED AGENCIES:
1. Waterbury, Conn., $1,888,223
2. Live Oak, Fla., $694,677
3. Newark, N.J., $659,568
4. Crow Creek, S.D., $621,914
5. Camden, N.J., $565,050
6. Picuris Pueblo, N.M., $495,499
7. Harwood Heights, Ill., $362,500
8. Morehouse Parish, La., $280,276
9. Amtrak, $241,628
10. San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, Ariz., $224,997
11. Camp Hill, Ala., $216,500
12. Latimer County, Okla., $173,480
13. Rhodell, W.Va., $165,836
14. Maxwell, N.M., $136,492
15. Austin, Ark., $119,876
16. Kermit, W.Va., $57,080
17. McMechen, W.Va., $52,591
18. Dupont Borough, Pa., $49,314
19. Manchester, Ga., $48,749
20. Calumet Park, Ill., $37,500
21. Arkansas City, Ark., $25,986
22. Chidester, Ark., $0*
23. Haines, Alaska, $0*
24. Teller, Alaska, $0*
25. Hardin, Mo., $0*
26. Stone Park, Ill., $0*
