Village of Sabina (Ohio) Police Department receives safety equipment grant
The Spirit of Blue Foundation has awarded its first annual Jeffrey S. Parola Safety Equipment Grant to the Village of Sabina (Ohio) Police Department. The grant will allow the department to deploy its first ever patrol rifle for use by department personnel in the conduct of their duties. The grant is also being given in memory of fallen Maine State Trooper Jeffrey S. Parola, who gave his life in the line of duty in 1994, and who serves as the inspiration for the founding of the Spirit of Blue.
The village of 2,500 residents sits in rural central Ohio and has seen a sharp rise in drug activity as manufacturing companies have closed and unemployment has grown. Though the police department has strong support from the village’s council, declining tax revenues have forced the department to turn to grants in order to acquire much of their safety equipment.
2014 statistics preliminarily released by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund show an especially dangerous start to the year with 18 law enforcement officers having already lost their lives, which is a 29 percent increase over the same period in the year prior. The realities of these statistics, along with the increasing number of underfunded law enforcement agencies across the country, fuel the Spirit of Blue safety grant initiative.
The Spirit of Blue Foundation actively encourages the public at large to honor and appreciate law enforcement officers who serve to protect our communities. By supporting the Spirit of Blue Foundation, the public can make an impact in the lives of law enforcement officers every day.
To learn more about the Spirit of Blue visit www.spiritofblue.com.
