State grant will add radios to Ashland police department

By Xavier Asher, Boone County Journal

The Ashland Police Department will be purchasing seven new mobile radios for patrol vehicles under a new state grant.

The grant is a part of Gov. Mike Kehoe’s Blue Shield communities program meant to help local police departments that are making an effort to crack down on crime. Kehoe announced $10 million in state grants for 200 communities on Oct. 2.

Each community, like Ashland, is approved to use up to $50,000 for purchases of equipment and training that will improve policing efforts.

“The need for the new radios is simply due to advancing technologies in the area of two-way emergency communications,” Ashland Police Chief Scott Young said in an email.

Young noted that the Boone County Joint Communications system will be changing to dual band 800 mHz radios.

The purchase will help the Ashland Police Department “comply with that change as well as existing and future statewide interoperability requirements,” he said.

All Blue Shield communities received $50,000 and gained access to the state’s stockpile of law enforcement equipment thanks to “their commitment to enhancing public safety, strengthening support for law enforcement, and building sustainable public safety partnerships.”

Young said Ashland is seeking $49,673 under the grant to purchase the radios.

Kehoe announced the Blue Shield program as part of his Safer Missouri initiative hours after being sworn in as governor in January.