A coalition of Johnstown-based foundations is providing $250,000 to the Johnstown Police Department for technological upgrades. These upgrades bring the Johnstown police force up to date with current policing practices, helping officers be more efficient, more visible out in the field, and making them better stewards of the city’s safety. The 1889 Foundation is providing $150,000, with $50,000 each coming from Lee Initiatives and the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies.
The $250,000 will pay for three new patrol vehicles, new computers with essential licensing packages for each of the department’s cruisers, plus a computer server to run the system. The funding will also purchase in-car cameras. This system gives each officer a mobile office, with on-the-spot access to vital information, and video recordings of every encounter.
As instrumental backers of the Cambria County Drug Coalition (CCDC), 1889, Lee Initiatives, and the Community Foundation believe this investment in the JPD is also an investment in the CCDC’s ongoing battle against Cambria County’s opioid crisis. With a mission of treatment, protection, and prevention, the CCDC relies heavily on Johnstown Police — the region’s largest police force. Empowering the JPD empowers our county’s leaders in combating the drug epidemic that’s infiltrated our communities.