The Ironton Police Department has received $84,862.57 in state funding as part of the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program.

Gov. Mike DeWine announced on Monday that 21 local enforcement agencies across the state would be awarded more than $3.7 million to help them strategically combat violence in their communities.

“We are very thankful, we can sure use the funds,” said Ironton Police Department Chief Pam Wagner.

She said that their reduction of violent crimes grant would go toward “a lot of education in our schools. That is overtime for us to have officers in high-crime areas and for follow-ups on violent crimes such as domestic cases and felonious assaults.”

Ironton and the other 20 agencies are the first to receive funding through the program. 

DeWine, in partnership with the Ohio General Assembly, created the program last year to give local law enforcement additional tools to hold accountable the small number of criminals responsible for most violent crime in the state.

“This is just the beginning of our concentrated efforts to give local law enforcement the specific tools they need to combat crime through localized strategies,” DeWine said. “There is no one-size-fits-all approach to fighting crime, and I am dedicated to helping our local agencies prevent violence using the methods they know will make the most difference in their local neighborhoods.”

The Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program initially launched last year with $8 million from the state’s operating budget and was increased last month to $58 million with the addition of American Recovery Plan Act funds that Governor DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly have dedicated to first responders to counter various pressing issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The grants announced Monday are all funded through Ohio’s operating budget.