Macomb police seek multiple DOJ grants for officer wellness, recruitment, homelessness response and cybercrime work

The Macomb Police Department told the Committee of the Whole on June 30 that it will seek several Department of Justice grant awards to expand officer supports, recruitment and response capacity.

Chief spoke for the department, saying the mental health and wellness grant would establish “consistent trauma-informed mental health services for officers and their families,” and estimating the application ceiling at under $200,000. He said the application was submitted on a tight timeline and the department will seek formal council authorization as grant details are finalized.

The department also plans to apply for a Community Policing Development recruitment and retention microgrant to fund job fairs, targeted marketing, recruitment videos and modest facility upgrades — including expanding the women’s locker room to accommodate a growing female workforce. The Chief described that grant package as “probably under $100,000” and said there is no local match requirement.

Another DOJ microgrant application will fund outreach and a coordinated response to homelessness and squatting. The Chief said Social Service Coordinator Sally Vetsi would lead outreach and that the project would support joint response protocols and a public education campaign; the maximum award cited was $175,000 and again no local match was required.

On cyber-related crimes, the Chief said the department will pursue an Office on Violence Against Women cyber-crimes enforcement grant to buy training, technology and overtime to help detectives investigate online stalking, revenge photography and related abuses. He said the package would be “less than $100,000,” with the work focused on evidence capture and coordinated victim services with local partners such as WRC and the state’s attorney’s office.

The Chief warned of one practical constraint: some technology the department would use is subscription-based, and he said he does not want the city to become dependent on services if future funding is uncertain.

Council members asked questions about federal funding stability and implementation. Alderman Dorset said he appreciated having a social service coordinator on staff to support grant efforts; Alderman Hemingway raised concerns about multi‑year funding continuity for Office on Violence Against Women grants.

All of the police grant items discussed were listed for action at the next council meeting or placed on the consent agenda where applicable. No formal appropriations were adopted during the committee session.

Next step: the council will vote on final authorization and any required local match or acceptance of awards at a subsequent council meeting.