Rockford Sun

Winnebago County officials have applied for a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to increase funding for its Sheriff's Department.

As reported by WREX News on March 5, the county applied for the COPS grant which would partially fund more deputies. However, if the grant is awarded, the county would have to match the amount awarded by the U.S. DOJ.

Winnebago County Board Chariman Frank Haney indicated the county may not have that matching fund money, according to WREX News. The finance committee may have to dip into reserve funding or find money in the budget elsewhere to match the grant. 

Bellwood County decided to go the same route as Winnebago and applied for a COPs grant. In its petition to the DOJ, the officers explained the strain between the public and police and how the grant would help improve that situation.

The Bellwood County Police Department petitioned the U.S. DOJ and stated, “The department realized that repairing the mistrust and misunderstanding between the public and police would require moving in a different direction, meeting with one another, and using methods outside the realm of tradition.” 

After receiving the grant, the increased funding helped improve the relationship between the police and the residents of Bellwood County.

When asked how this change in a relationship affected the department, officers said, “We learned that we have to accept criticism while remaining courteous to effect change and work collectively in changing the public’s perception of our commitment to provide a safe, secure, and stable community for all residents.”

“As a community, the greatest lesson was collaboration, resulting in a team approach that benefited all key stakeholders.” the Bellwood County Police Department, as indicated on the DOJ website.