Lower Providence Police Department Could Be Impacted by Sequester

A series of automated budget cuts known as sequestration are set to hit the federal government’s spending by midnight on Thursday. If Congress does not pass an alternative plan, the forced reductions in budgets will seep down through the states, into the municipalities, and of course to the area’s residents.

In Lower Providence Township, things are no different. The community will see an impact, should sequester head into action. What might local residents notice?

According to Bud Carroll, chief of police for Lower Providence Township, the local police department might be one area greatly impacted.

“We are all very anxious about the potential impacts of the sequestration on law enforcement funding originating from the Federal program,” said Chief Carroll. “In the past, Lower Providence Township has benefitted from grant awards through the COPS hiring program, the COPS technology program and the COPS Safe Schools grand funding program, in collaboration with Methacton School District, the Bulletproof Vest Partnership and the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program.”

The office of Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS, is a U.S. Department of Justice division that focuses on state and local law enforcement.

While Lower Providence doesn't have a grant in place, the police department was planning to ask for aid for body armor this year.

“We're anticipating applying for funding assistance under the Bulletproof Vest Partnership this year, which provides for 50 percent funding for body armor for police officers and [we] sincerely hope that that program will not be impacted,” said Chief Carroll.

Chief Carroll also fears that reductions to this year could trickle down and impact future budget planning well beyond 2013.

"Obviously, with the potential of cutting approximately $8.2 million from the COPS Office budget for the fiscal year of 2013, there would not only be impacts in this fiscal year, but in the ensuing fiscal years as it would be virtually impossible to reestablish those funding levels," he said.