Grant sought for gang unit

GRANT COUNTY — The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is in the process of applying for a grant to fund additional personnel to focus on gangs and neighborhood safety.

Grant County Undersheriff John Turley said they are hoping to obtain enough funding to fill two full time positions for one year. The positions would not be for deputies.

The grant is through the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.

The grant requires the positions be used to rehire old personnel or to prevent layoffs.

The support staff would focus on gathering gang information and working with the juvenile court system, he said. When juveniles receive community service, the support staff would be involved with having them remove gang graffiti in the community.

The staff would also be in charge of forming neighborhood block watches. The goal is to divide the housing area commonly referred to as the Larson Air Force Base, into four segments, Turley said. A focus would be placed on the segments to help prevent gang activity and encourage people to report gang activity.

Grant County Sheriff Frank DeTrolio signed the grant application this week.