(WXYZ) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Monday $30 million in grants to help local law enforcement agencies hire more police officers.
According to the governor's office, the Public Safety Academy Assistance Program will give law enforcement agencies $4,000 per recruit for salaries and benefits, and up to $20,000 for academy tuition and other training costs.
Applications are now open for the program to help enroll recruits in training or academy sessions starting on or after Jan. 1, 2023.
“After listening to law enforcement across the state, we are delivering $30 million in funding to help them hire additional officers. This funding is a critical component of our plan to boost investment in public safety across the state. Every Michigander deserves to feel safe while going to the grocery store, dropping their kids off to school, or taking a walk around the block," Whitmer said in a statement.
Agencies will be able to receive up to 25 scholarships over the course of the program, which will last until Sept. 30, 2026 or until the funds are used.
“This grant program will help local law enforcement agencies screen, hire and enroll individuals to a basic law enforcement training academy increasing the number of police officers in our state,” said Timothy Bourgeois, the executive director of the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards. “The availability of these scholarships may allow agencies to recruit and hire police officers who may otherwise not have had the means to pay to attend a law enforcement academy.”
