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Laconia council accepts $26,405 DHS grant for SWAT equipment after public hearing on federal cooperation concerns
Summary
After a public hearing in which a Ward 2 resident raised concerns about possible collaboration with ICE, the Laconia City Council voted 6‑0 to accept a $26,405 Department of Homeland Security grant to purchase SWAT/SOU equipment and authorized the city manager to sign related documents.
Mayor Borges opened a public hearing on Resolution 20‑26‑01 to accept a $26,405 Department of Homeland Security grant for SWAT/SOU equipment for the Laconia Police Department.
Lisa Warren of Ward 2 said she had raised questions at an earlier meeting about “the cooperation that the Laconia Police might be doing with ICE,” and asked what commitments, if any, the grant requires. Her comment drew a direct response during the hearing from a speaker identifying himself as a former police officer, who said the grant funds equipment for specialized operations and “doesn’t commit us to, as you would say, working with ICE.”
City officials noted Captain Grady would be available during council discussion to answer technical questions about equipment and operations. After council discussion later in the meeting, the body approved the resolution to accept the DHS award and authorized the city manager to sign any related documents; the motion passed 6‑0.
Why it matters: The grant expands the department’s capacity for specialized responses (the record describes these as SWAT/SOU equipment for serious incidents such as kidnappings or robberies). Public questions during the hearing focused on whether accepting federal grant funds creates obligations to partner with federal immigration enforcement; the council record shows the response given was that the equipment grant does not itself require collaboration with ICE.
What’s next: The manager was authorized to execute grant documents. Captain Grady was identified as the department contact for any follow‑up questions about how the equipment would be used.
Reporting notes: The public hearing was opened and closed during the meeting; the council took final action on the resolution under unfinished business later in the same session and recorded the final vote as 6‑0.
