Decorah Police Department will apply for a federal grant to help hire an additional officer

The Decorah City Council has approved an application for a federal grant to help the Decorah Police Department hire an additional officer.

The Decorah Police Department might be expanding.  Police officials have gotten permission from the Decorah City Council to apply for a federal grant that would pay 75 percent of the salary and benefits of an additional officer.

The U.S. Department of Justice program is called "Community Oriented Policing Services"--or "COPS."  If Decorah received a grant from the Justice Department, the federal money would pay for 75 percent of the entry level salary and benefits.  The City of Decorah would pay the other 25 percent of costs--and would have to agree to continue to employ the officer hired for a fourth year at full expense of the city.

The grant application deadline is May 22nd, but Decorah Police Chief Bill Nixon says the department ought to be able to complete the application by then.