Police departments in Aberdeen and Bel Air will be hiring an additional officer each for community patrol with federal grants announced last week by Democratic U.S. Sens. Barbara A. Mikulski and Paul S. Sarbanes.
The grants are available through the COPS FAST program, authorized by the $8.8 billion federal crime bill recently passed by Congress.
The program will add 59 new officers throughout the state, the senators said in a statement released from Ms. Mikulski's headquarters.
Aberdeen police will receive about $50,500 and the Bel Air department about $70,000.
The amounts are estimated because the Justice Department has not calculated the costs of salary and benefit package, the senators said.
The COPS FAST program serves law enforcement agencies in jurisdictions with small populations.
In December, the Harford County Sheriff's Office received word that four new deputies could be hired as part of the COPS AHEAD program, which serves law enforcement agencies in larger jurisdictions.