Tester Announces More Than $30,000 for Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department

$31,700 grant to fund purchase of two new police cruisers

(U.S. Senate) – The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department is getting two new police cruisers, thanks to efforts by U.S. Senator Jon Tester.

Tester announced today that the Department has been awarded grant funding for two new all-wheel drive Police Interceptors. The funding comes from a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development grant of more than $31,700.

“Montana’s uniformed officers put their lives on the line every day to protect us, and we need to make sure they have the best possible tools to do their job,” Tester said. “These vehicles will boost public safety for folks in Libby and Lincoln County, and will save taxpayer money on repairs down the road.”

A senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Tester was the only member of Montana’s Congressional delegation to vote for the program that provided the grants. Lincoln County will contribute another $58,900 to purchase the vehicles.

Last year, Tester helped deliver four new vehicles to the Libby Police Department, and he has fought for other public safety resources for communities around Montana. As Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriation Subcommittee, Tester secured $85 million for Operation Stonegarden last year – a $30 million increase from the year prior – including $1.5 million in Operation Stonegarden grants for Montana communities. He also recently wrote letters calling for more funding for critical law enforcement programs like the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office and the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program this year.

Tester is also backing the Protecting America’s First Responders Act to ensure first responders injured in the line of duty and the families of fallen officers receive the benefits they’ve earned by fixing current issues with disability determinations for the Public Safety Officers Benefits Program, and ensuring claims are processed more quickly. He is also a sponsor of the Putting First Responders First Act to ensure injured first responders do not have to pay taxes on injury-related compensation and prevent benefits from becoming taxable when first responders reach retirement age.

Last month Tester introduced a Senate Resolution designating May 12-18 as National Police Week, to honor the 158 officers killed in the line of duty in 2018, and express support for law enforcement officers across the country United States, and his Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program Reauthorization, which helps state and local law enforcement agencies purchase lifesaving bulletproof vests for officers working in the field, was recently signed into law.