Earlier this month, the Missouri Department of Public Safety and the Governor’s office announced they would be distributing $5 million to various first responder agencies from the state’s American Rescue Plan Act funds. 

One of the recipient agencies was the Wright City Police Department, which will receive $24,600 through the grant. Police Chief Tom Canavan said the department will be using the funds to purchase new computers for their patrol cars. 

There have been previous efforts to update the computers in the department’s 10 patrol cars that resulted in replacing two of them. This grant will cover the rest of the vehicles as well as a couple extras that can be used by detectives, according to Canavan. 

He hoped the new equipment would help his officers to perform their duties more effectively and allow them to process information like license plates faster. 

“The last ones we bought were reused when we bought them, so the technology was soon to be outdated, and the team is always pushing these grants,” Canavan said. 

Those grant applications were largely put together by Tina Zimmerman with TMZ Marketing Services, a grant writer for the city who has been focused on drawing in more funding for city programs. 

The grant does include some caveats for the city to receive the funding and make their purchases. The department must submit a lengthy list of department records including stops and arrests to qualify for the funding. 

“You don’t actually get paid until you’ve done all kinds of submissions,” Canavan said. “We’re working with the state and making sure that we’re doing everything by the book, and then when you can prove that you have that’s when they send you checks.”

The funding will have to be matched 50/50 by Wright City for a total of $49,200 for the purchase of the computers as well as their new docking stations. Canavan said officers should be able to install the docks and laptops themselves, although he was unsure when they would arrive since they are still gathering the necessary records. 

In total the grant covered 35 fire service agencies, 18 EMS providers and 17 law enforcement agencies across the state according to a press release. Wright City was the only grant recipient in Warren County. 

“The $5 million in funding we’re providing means more Missourians facing life-threatening emergencies will be met by first responders using up-to-date equipment, trained with modern devices and using interoperable radios that make for better communications. This funding will make a difference in communities across the state,” said Missouri Department of Public Safety Director Sandy Karsten in the press release.