MANCHESTER – It was a day of celebration with county and municipal officials joining special guest 4th District Congressman Christopher Smith for the dedication of 10 new police vehicles.
Police Chief Antonio Ellis welcomed the officials and guests who were present at the police headquarters on Colonial Drive. The vehicles were funded with no municipal tax burden through the Byrne Discretionary Grant Program.
This program supports projects designated for funding in the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2022 (Public Law 117-103) that improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, prevent or combat juvenile delinquency, and assist victims of crime (other than compensation).
Eligible applicants are limited to those identified in the Congressional Joint Explanatory Statement (JES) for the projects designated for funding.
The congressman joined Ocean County Commissioners Jennifier Bacchione and Robert Arace, Mayor Joseph Hankins, Council members James Vaccaro, Michele Zolezi and Sandra Drake – a retired police officer – for the occasion.
The effort to secure the vehicles began several years ago when then-Police Chief Robert Dolan identified a serious concern as many vehicles in the department’s aging vehicle fleet were beyond operational limits and temporary fixes could no longer alleviate those issues.
In an effort to maintain the level of service the community desired, Chief Dolan reached out to Congressman Smith for assistance.
“Our department – serving over 45,000 residents across 85 square miles – was facing increasing demands with limited resources. That’s when we put forward a comprehensive plan – focused on restoring reliability, safety, and sustainability, and that plan led to the real results we see before us today,” Ellis remarked.
Through Smith’s assistance, the township was awarded approximately $1.148 million through the Fiscal Year 2024 Byrne Discretionary Grant Program, which went toward purchasing nine new Chevy Tahoe SUVs and an animal control van.
“Special thanks to Chief Antonio Ellis, then-Mayor and now-Commissioner Rob Arace, then-Chief Robert Dolan, Mayor Joseph Hankins, and the entire Manchester Town Council for their tireless efforts to identify concerns with Manchester Township Police Department’s aging fleet of police vehicles and spearhead this critical request to the finish line,” Congressman Smith said.
“Today is an amazing example of what good local governance can lead to. Their remarkable advocacy has reaped tangible benefits for the people of Manchester Township, the nine brand-new Chevy Tahoe SUVs and animal control van that stand before us will actively make Manchester safer and better equipped to fulfill the needs of its residents,” the congressman added.
“I join with Congressman Smith in thanking our elected officials for their continued leadership and support in ensuring that our officers have the equipment they need to respond safely to calls for service, enhancing public safety here in Manchester Township,” Chief Ellis added.
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