Muncie Police receive federal hiring grant, but need to be fully staffed to use it

The Muncie Police Department says it has been awarded a federal grant to hire new officers, besides what its budget will allow.  But to use the money, the agency says it needs to be fully staffed.

The department will receive $375,000 from the federal COPS Hiring Program, which will pay for three new officers.  In a statement, Chief Nathan Sloan says these officers will focus on “community oriented policing and crime reduction” – something required by the federal grant.

But Sloan also says the department is not fully staffed, so it can’t hire the grant-funded officers until it hires for open positions.  Sloan was not immediately available on Friday to identify how many open positions were available.  The department also didn’t announce whether it received a waiver to cover the required 25 percent minimum “local cash match” as required by the grant.

The Muncie Police Department’s starting salary of $43,940 sits above that of nearby Ball State University Police Department – at $40,725- and below what the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office offers of $45,168.  Both agencies announced hiring efforts this week and each local agency offers various perks to attract candidates.

Three other Indiana locales also won the federal grant, with each awarded enough money to hire a single officer.