BOSTON – The City of Amesbury has received an $80,000 grant from the Executive Office of Public Safety to make improvements at its municipal police station, State Representative Michael A. Costello announced.
Costello, the chairman of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, worked collaboratively with public safety staff and Secretary Kevin Burke to secure the money.
“This was a very competitive grant process with a large number of communities competing for a relatively small pool of money,” Costello said. “I’m grateful to the Secretary that he was able to fulfill 100 percent of Amesbury’s request. Chief Cronin clearly demonstrated a need to keep the facility habitable.”
Contactors who were working on the police station last year discovered significant deterioration to the side of the building. The condition had allowed water and moisture to seep into the structure, threatening further damage. Amesbury will use the money to seal the structure. The town must contribute matching funds toward the grant, a request that the Mayor has made to the Municipal Council.
“In order to provide the best law enforcement services possible, we need adequate facilities,” Costello said. “Across the state, our municipal buildings are aging. This grant program is a great start. As the Chairman of Public Safety, it’s an issue I think we need to look at – through additional grants, a bond bill or a public building program.”