Most people have heard of the actor Gary Sinise. Many of us know him as ‘Lieutenant Dan’ from Forrest Gump or would recognize his face from his time on one of the many CSI television show iterations. Perhaps lesser known are his philanthropic efforts through the Gary Sinise Foundation. It is thanks to this foundation that the Clarion Police Department recently got a technology upgrade.
Clarion PD officer Jeremy Stenda was the one who was responsible for stumbling upon this opportunity. Stenda explained that before working in Clarion, he had in the past successfully applied for various grants. A couple of months ago, he said he was looking around for grants online when he found an interesting one through the Gary Sinise Foundation.
According to the organization’s website, the Gary Sinise’s Foundation First Responders Outreach grant helps provide “critical funding for emergency relief, training, and essential equipment to ensure heroes perform to the best of their abilities.” Stenda said he was able to fill out the grant application in one night after submitting the department’s budget and financial information.
Not long after, Stenda admits that he was a little surprised to get a call from Nick Wicksman who works with the Gary Sinise Foundation. Stenda said he had a few follow-up questions and pieces of advice. But, before long, it was evident that the Clarion Police Department would be awarded the money applied for!
The amount received was $5,064 and would go toward some advanced technology for the city’s patrol vehicles. The grant money was used for the implementation of National Crime Information Center (NCIC) technology in each vehicle. Stenda explained, “Each officer and patrol vehicle now has the ability to run all of the necessary information through our mobile data terminals (in-car computers). This allows officers to be more efficient while on patrol and gives us the ability to provide our citizens with a higher level of service.”
Chief of Police Steve TerHark was pleased when Stenda informed him about the grant and says such technology is much-needed. “Police departments in smaller towns sometimes struggle to get everything they need due to budget constraints,” said TerHark. “So grants, which are basically free money, can be very helpful.”
As the department looks forward to making good use of the grant money, Stenda also adds that the Gary Sinise Foundation could open future doors for the department. The First Responders Outreach grant can be applied for annually and for larger amounts, so Stenda is already planning on that. With the generosity of the foundation, there is no telling what the Clarion Police Department might be able to accomplish down the road.
