Here’s how Granite City will spend $20K in COVID relief in its police department
Granite City will set aside $20,000 of its American Rescue Plan money for police officers to seek help with mental health and trauma, the mayor said.
Granite City Mayor Mike Parkinson announced the plan to members of the media Monday at City Hall after a roundtable discussion there about law enforcement needs in the region.
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, hosted the private discussion with police department leaders from Granite City, Pontoon Beach, Highland, Alton and Caseyville, as well as Illinois State Police and sheriff’s departments in St. Clair and Madison counties.
Duckworth said they learned Alton has a program to cover costs of mental health counseling for officers during the discussion. Parkinson said he wanted to do something similar in Granite City because some officers are struggling after the death of Pontoon Beach Police Officer Tyler Timmins.
Timmins, 36, died in late October after being shot at a gas station while investigating a possible stolen vehicle.
Parkinson is a former police officer.
The American Rescue Plan was a federal pandemic relief package from 2021.
This story was originally published August 23, 2022 at 7:23 AM.
