The Riverton City Council approved three grant awards this week for the Riverton Police Department.
City administrator Kyle Butterfield said one officer – Don Nethicumara – was responsible for submitting all three applications, with support from city staff.
“Thank you to him for reaching out, finding these funds and securing equipment for the police department,” Butterfield said during a council meeting Tuesday.
The $5,000 grant Nethicumara secured from the Gary Sinise Foundation – commonly referred to as the Lt. Dan Foundation – will cover the purchase of 10 first-aid car kits and 20 individual first-aid kits, according to a memo from staff.
“Not only does this serve our community, but it also helps protect our officers so they do have the necessary equipment and first aid supplies available if there ever is a need for themselves as well,” Butterfield said.
Nethicumara also applied to the T-Mobile for Government program, which “offers data priority through Wireless Priority Services in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency,” according to staff.
Specifically, the program “pays for special SIM cards for agencies to use in agency cell phones/devices,” the staff memo states.
The SIM cards equip officers with “dedicated lines” that allow them to “maintain service, especially when call volumes are high and towers are not responding as much as they should,” Butterfield said.
The RPD is slated to receive 23 of those SIM cards from T-Mobile, he said, adding that two community members have stepped up to purchase cell phones for local officers as well.
“This is an opportunity to allow for our officers to communicate better and not use their personal cell phones and, again, have better service from T-Mobile,” Butterfield said.
The final grant on Tuesday’s consent agenda comes from the United States Deputy Sheriff’s Association, which plans to donate three sets of body armor to the RPD, valued at about $5,000, according to a staff memo.
“This will financially offset the cost of purchasing the body armor through the city’s general fund,” the memo states.
For more information call the City of Riverton at 856-2227.