Ocean Pines Police Department receives additional state grants for bulletproof vests and more

OCEAN PINES, Md. – The Ocean Pines Police Department has received additional state grants.

In August, OPPD received $20,000 from the Maryland Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention for police retention and $2,750 from the Maryland Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention for the department’s community engagement program.

Ocean Pines Police Chief Tim Robinson has announced two additional grants for the police department. $22,600 comes from the state Police Accountability, Community and Transparency Grant through the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention. The second grant totals $2,485.50 to defray the cost of bulletproof vests from the federal Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership through the U.S. Department of Justice.

Robinson says new bulletproof vests are always a crucial need for the police department.

He adds that the additional funds will help with the costs of mandated psychological testing for new hires, as well as mandated mental health screenings for existing officers. The funds will also go towards implementing new computer software that will help with the internal management of the OPPD and will help with the development of a new website for the department.