Stark County Sheriff's Office awarded $2 million for new violent crime task force
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CANTON – The Stark County Sheriff's Office will receive more than $2 million in grant funding to create a multi-jurisdictional task force to address violent crime.
Gov. Mike DeWine announced Friday that the sheriff's office will be receive funding to establish the Stark County Violent Crime Task Force. It will be a collaboration between the sheriff's office and the Canton, Jackson Township, Massillon, Perry Township and Alliance police departments.
"I have always believed that collaboration can make a safer community. This resource paves the way for continued collaboration through problem site identification and quick response. I am grateful for our local law enforcement partners who remain committed to contributing to a safe Stark County," Sheriff George Maier said
The task force will "deploy proactive and preventative enforcement strategies targeting problem areas known for gang-related activity and other incidents of violent crime," according to a news release from the governor's office.
Each law enforcement agency will assign a full-time and part-time officer to the task force to help with hot-spot policing, community-oriented policing and engagement at community events.
The funds come as part of the fourth round of DeWine's Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program. In total, the program will award $58 million to Ohio law enforcement agencies to aid with their efforts to reduce violent crime.
“My job as governor is to make sure that tools and resources are available at the local level to help our local law enforcement officers combat the violence they face,” DeWine said in a prepared statement. "These grants provide a means for local law enforcement to protect their citizens from violent crime through solid staffing levels and enhanced crime-fighting initiatives."
Twenty five other law enforcement agencies received funding as part of the fourth round of grants.
Stark's $2 million was the largest grant awarded to any agency in this wave.
Reach Paige at 330-580-8577 or pmbennett@gannett.com, or on Twitter at @paigembenn.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark County sheriff nets $2 million to address violent crime
