‘Investing in law enforcement is one of the best ways we can keep our communities safe,’ Luna said.
U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna presented a $480,000 federal funding check to the St. Petersburg Police Department to fund the purchase of new police vehicles.
The funding will support the Department’s Public Safety Vehicles Project, which aims to add new marked Ford Explorer SUVs to improve emergency response times, ease shift transitions and help maintain continuous public safety coverage across the city. The effort also lets the department expand its take-home vehicle program for eligible sworn officers.
“I fought to secure this funding because investing in law enforcement is one of the best ways we can keep our communities safe,” Luna said. “The men and women of the St. Petersburg Police Department show up every day to keep our community safe, and they deserve the resources they need to do their jobs well.”
Assigning take-home vehicles to eligible sworn officers can increase the visible presence of law enforcement while helping the city stay competitive with other large regional law enforcement agencies, according to the press release.
The city has used Penny for Pinellas funds over time to add vehicles to the fleet, but the funding has not kept pace with department needs. Mayor Ken Welch thanked Luna for helping secure the federal money.
“Investing in public safety and supporting our officers continues to be a top priority for the City of St. Petersburg under my administration,” Welch said. “The commitment we have made to public safety takes significant resources, and we’re incredibly grateful for Congresswoman Luna’s effort to secure $480,000 for new public safety vehicles for the St. Pete Police Department.”
Luna presented the check at St. Petersburg Police Department headquarters alongside city leaders, including Welch, City Council Chair Lisset Hanewicz and Police Chief Anthony Holloway.