TOWN OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. — Police in the Town of Tonawanda are getting some money from the state that will help upgrade the station.
Senator Sean Ryan announced a $236,000 grant on Thursday to renovate the locker rooms at the department's locker room, as well as $50,000 more for day-to-day operations.
Why so much money for lockers?
Chief Jame P. Stauffiger explained how the old lockers were causing trouble.
"The lockers that you see here are original to the building which was constructed in 1971. They're in some cases rotted from boots being placed inside the locker, and we can no longer get the parts for them. So when something gets damaged, we have to keep those on hand to make sure we have extra parts. So it's been a long process trying to get these replaced," Stauffiger said.
A separate $10,000 grant will also support Crimestoppers Western New York as they help police track down wanted criminals in our area.
“Keeping our communities safe is a key priority of mine, and supporting our local police departments, like the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, is the number one factor in ensuring our neighborhoods across Western New York are protected. At the same time, eradicating crime in our community requires a multifaceted approach. This funding for Crime Stoppers will help them continue their important work helping local law enforcement resolve unsolved crimes,” Ryan said.
Paul Catalano, Vice Chairman, of Crime Stoppers WNY mentioned how the funds will help them solve crimes.
“Crime Stoppers is committed to solving crimes in Western New York. We have created a program to increase our rewards for all crimes in which guns are used, and these funds will have an immediate impact in solving these crimes,” Catalano said.