The City of Eagleville is moving one step closer to reinstating its police department by applying for funding under the COPS Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP). The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) recently received additional funding from its original $1 billion appropriation through the Omnibus Appropriations Act, signed into law on March 11th, 2009.

CHRP is a competitive-based grant program that does not require a local match, and provides 100 percent of funding for new hires that are full-time, sworn officers, or for rehires who have experienced lay-offs centered around budget cuts. The funding is also available in the prevention of police force reduction due to a lack in local funding.

The grant provides funding for a full 36 months, or 3 years, but does require the retention of the new hires for a one-year period after the 3 years are up. Additionally, there is no cap on the number of requested positions.

The Eagleville City Council was recently informed of the CHRP grant opportunity by Councilman Fitzgerald, through a called meeting on March 17th, 2009; only 2 days into the grant’s application availability. Fitzgerald, who has spearheaded a feasibility study on the potential reinstatement of the city’s police department, informed the council of the grant’s tight deadline, which is April 14th, 2009.

Urgency at reinstating a local police department can be felt throughout Eagleville’s downtown businesses, especially by Paula Tipton, the branch manager of Regions Bank; who has experienced two local robberies.

Although unable to attend the called meeting, Tipton reiterated the need for daily police presence, through a written statement, saying, "Please continue to explore all options available to the city to make this protection a reality."

The Eagleville Police Department has been in an inactive status, ever since its former Police Chief, Everett Stone, was placed on administrative leave, and then later retired at the end of a probe by the POST commission.

The POST commission found that Stone did not meet minimum POST commission standards, which would require him to successfully complete training at a basic police school to become a POST certified officer in the state of Tennessee. Since then, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department has been providing police protection in the Eagleville area.

Should the city of Eagleville receive funding from the CHRP grant, it is required that each new hire be a POST certified officer. The city of Eagleville has received funding from the CHRP grant before, in which its funds were utilized to fund the position of former Eagleville police officer, Charlie Holt.