April 8, 2002
For Immediate Release

Congressman Kirk Announces $250,000
Department of Justice Grant for
Vernon Hills Police Department

Vernon Hills, IL - U. S. Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Highland Park) joined Vernon Hills Mayor Roger Byrne and Chief of Police Mark Fleischauser to announce a U.S. Department of Justice grant, totaling $250,000, has been awarded to Vernon Hills Police Department.

“I am very pleased to be joined today by Mayor Byrne and Chief Fleischauser and his team. These federal funds will help protect our families by enabling the Vernon Hills Police Department to hire and train additional officers,” said Congressman Kirk. “Increasing the number of officers on the beat is an important step toward securing our homeland. Federal grants like this one from the Department of Justice will help our police departments respond quickly and effectively to local law enforcement needs.”

The $250,000 grant will enable the Vernon Hills Police Department to hire two full-time police officers. Funding under this grant allows law enforcement agencies to pay 75 percent of salary and benefits for each officer over three years, up to a maximum of $75,000 per officer, with the remainder paid by state or local funds.

The grant announced today is part of the Universal Hiring Program (UHP) under the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) initiative which is funded by the Department of Justice. This year, the Universal Hiring Program will fund more than $50.6 million in grants to hire 762 full-time officers in 116 communities nationwide. To date, the COPS program has invested $4.4 billion in hiring programs which include: Universal Hiring Program (UHP), Distressed Neighborhoods Pilot Program (DNP), Accelerated Hiring Education and Development (AHEAD), and Funding Accelerated for Smaller Towns (FAST).

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