University Police Secures Federal Grant to Purchase Patrol Vehicles

COBLESKILL – The University Police Department at SUNY Cobleskill is the recipient of an Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) through the U.S. Department of Justice and administered by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. The award totals $159,000 and will support the purchase of three new SUV patrol vehicles, enhancing the department's operational capabilities to serve and protect the College’s campus and community members. Two of the new units will replace older models while one will be an addition to the fleet.   

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program is the leading source of federal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions. The JAG Program provides states, tribes, and local governments with critical funding necessary to support a range of law enforcement and corrections program areas. The grant is named in honor of NYPD Officer Edward Byrne, who was tragically killed in the line of duty in 1988.  

Chief of UPD at SUNY Cobleskill William Henn said, “The safety of our campus community is our highest priority, and this grant serves that by allowing us to update our fleet with advanced vehicles that make us even better equipped to carry our patrol and response duties. We are grateful for the support of the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program and for the collaborative efforts of our team, whose work was instrumental in securing this funding.”  

DCJS Commissioner Rossana Rosado said, “The Edward Byrne Memorial Grant Program provides critical resources that allow law enforcement agencies across the state to improve the safety of their communities. We are proud to support this request from SUNY Cobleskill, which will improve safety for the college’s police officers and allow them to better serve the campus community.”  

The University Police Department has been accredited by the New York State Law Enforcement Agency Accreditation Council since 2016, and all of its operational members are certified police officers. The department is composed of uniformed officers who are on duty and patrol 24 hours a day, seven days a week. DCJS also oversees the state’s Accreditation program, which is voluntary and designed to improve an agency’s effectiveness and professionalism; promote training; and foster public confidence in law enforcement.    

The grant proposal was authored by Laura Gross, Director of Business Affairs and Controller, on behalf of University Police.