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Balcones Heights seeks COPS grant to add three officers; council authorizes application
Summary
Police Chief Roger Cavazos told council the department submitted a COPS grant application that would fund three officers with a 75/25 match (city pays 25% and retains officers for one year after grant); council authorized the application and directed staff to post positions as grant-funded if awarded.
The Balcones Heights Police Department applied for a U.S. Department of Justice COPS grant to fund three additional officers, Chief Roger Cavazos told the council July 27. The grant is structured as a 75/25 match and caps funding roughly at $125,000 per officer (salary and benefits) for three years; the city must retain each officer for a year after the grant period, effectively lengthening the commitment to four years.
Cavazos said the department is understaffed and handles roughly 1,800–1,900 calls per month. He asked the council for authority to submit the application; the council voted to approve submission and instructed the city administrator to prepare postings for the positions as grant-funded if the award comes through. Council members and the city administrator cautioned that the long-term budget impact must be evaluated if the city must pick up salaries after the grant expires; council directed staff to study the cost and budget implications during the upcoming budget cycle.
