Gov. Maura Healey announced $5.5 million in federal funding to support public safety in Massachusetts on Wednesday, on the heels of a public vow of “zero tolerance” for violent street takeovers and telling the Trump administration to keep National Guard troops out of Boston.
The $5.5 million in funding was announced in a press release on Wednesday afternoon, following a press conference on Wednesday morning regarding the four street takeovers from the past weekend.
These included a Boston police cruiser set on fire, fireworks shot at a police cruiser in Randolph, a Dodge Charger driven at an officer in Middleborough and an ambulance blocked from getting through in Fall River.
The funds will go to 171 local police departments and 28 state agencies “with resources to address community safety needs, modernize equipment, and expand innovative prevention strategies,” the administration said.
This includes officer training and community-based violence prevention programs, along with tech upgrades like body-worn cameras, automated license plate readers and “forensic lab improvements.”
The funding will be awarded through the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program and administered by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Office of Grants and Research (OGR).
Grant sizes for individual police departments range from $6,000 to $35,000, and individual state public safety agencies will receive up to $60,000. A full list of each award can be found here.
“During a recent series of public safety roundtables across the state, I heard directly from law enforcement, prosecutors, and community partners about what is working on the ground,” Healey said.
The concern over street takeovers was one of several topics brought up at one of these recent sessions, the Randolph Police Chief said at a Town Council meeting on Monday night.
“Massachusetts continues to see a decline in violent crime, with serious offenses dropping nearly 10 percent over the past two years. These grants will help keep that momentum going,” Healey said.
“This year’s awards reflect a wide range of priorities,” Interim Public Safety and Security Secretary Susan W. Terrey said in the administration’s statement.
“State and local departments are directing funds toward initiatives such as expanding mental health co-response teams, updating technology to improve transparency and accountability, and advancing other critical public safety strategies,” Terrey continued.
Speaking to reporters earlier in the day on Wednesday, Healey offered a sharp condemnation of the street takeovers and said she’d asked the Massachusetts State Police to step up its existing enforcement and intelligence-gathering efforts to track and stop such gatherings.
Read More: Mass. Gov. Healey decries street ‘takeovers’ as ‘destructive, dangerous and against the law’
“Whether you’re in Massachusetts or you’re thinking about coming to Massachusetts, you are not welcome to engage in that conduct at any time, in any place, anywhere in this state,” she said.
Healey also asked state residents who become aware of such events to tell local law enforcement about it, repeating the by-now familiar “If you see something, say something.”
“I just think about what happened [with the ambulance] in Fall River over the weekend, and that’s why I’m so upset about this and want to make sure we’re doing everything we can … to end this trend. There’s zero tolerance for this in the Commonwealth.”