North Catasauqua Borough will receive a grant of $15,000 from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency for law enforcement recruitment, state Sen. Nick Miller, D-14th, announced March 12.

“Public safety is a vital component in the Lehigh Valley. We want our residents and visitors to feel safe when they are here,” Miller said. “By investing in our law enforcement, we are investing in the well-being of our community.”

The funding comes from the Local Law Enforcement Support Grant Program. Law enforcement entities that do not cover the costs of Act 120 training can request up to $7,000 per new officer to support costs associated with the training.

If they currently hire officers that are already Act 120 trained or the agency already covers training costs, departments can apply for up to $5,000 per new officer to support stipends, signing bonuses or marketing efforts.

“Recruiting law enforcement professionals is essential to keeping our communities protected,” Miller added. “There continues to be a strong need for new law enforcement. By utilizing state funding, North Catasauqua can take some of the burden off using community resources.”

Since the window for funding opened in October, 51 law enforcement agencies have received funding from this initiative, totaling more than $2 million.