Ocean Pines Police Department

Courtesy: Ocean Pines Association

OCEAN PINES, Md.-The Ocean Pines Police Department recently received two grant awards, for police retention and for community engagement.  

Ocean Pines Police received $20,000 from the Maryland Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention for police retention.  

Chief Tim Robinson said the funds would be used for providing both retention incentives for current officers and recruitment incentives for future new hires.  

The department also received $2,750 from the Maryland Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention for the police department's community engagement programs, specifically to help pay for police overtime for events like the recent National Night Out celebration and staffing for July 4 fireworks and other large events.   

Both grants were secured by grant specialist Valerie Mann, with help from Ocean Pines Police Lt. Shakhan Toppin.    

Robinson said Ocean Pines Police would continue to seek and utilize grants to help fund police activities, and to help recruit and retain officers.  

"We are grateful to the Governor's Office of Crime Control and prevention for awarding these two grants to Ocean Pines,” he said. “With this help we will be able to help maintain our current staff of officers while attracting new ones with one of the grants, and it will make it easier to provide police assistance with major events in our community."