Mountain Grove Police Department working towards department changing grant funds

At the City of Mountain Grove’s City Council meeting Monday, April 13, Chief of Police Danny Bledsoe dropped a staggering figure at the feet of the Board.
“As of right now, we are on track to receive almost $500,000 in grant funds in quarter one and two,” Bledsoe announced.
Multiple aldermen responded with shock at this figure, but this has been a work in progress spearheaded by Chief Bledsoe.
Working with the state of Missouri, the department received the Missouri Blue Shield Grant Program (MBSG).
The goal of the grant is to provide funding to support local departments as a collaborative initiative in Missouri, bringing communities together to support the law enforcement agencies that serve and protect cities and towns.
This program acknowledges local governments for their commitment to supporting local law enforcement efforts.
Each Missouri Blue Shield Program applicant will receive $50,000 for the purchase of equipment, training and/or technology for their law enforcement agency. Mountain Grove was notified it would receive these funds earlier this year.
Alongside the funds received by the MBSG, the department has worked with United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement to secure training and grant funds to further support the department’s goals.
The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 added Section 287(g) to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), authorizing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to delegate state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under ICE’s direction and oversight.
The program enhances the safety and security of our nation’s communities by allowing ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) to partner with state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to identify and remove criminal aliens who are amenable to removal from the United States. MGPD has begun supporting these operations, with three confirmed detentions of illegal aliens being accomplished.
The funds received will be used for multiple equipment purchases that would otherwise be out of reach.
New patrol handguns, rifle plates for officer protection and vehicle updates being just a few. Alongside these purchases, Chief Bledsoe looks to impact the community by purchasing technology that will allow real time access to data on cell phones of those arrested or detained for crimes against children, which is on the rise.
Recently, two of the City’s officers completed FAA certification as drone pilots, and the purchase of drones to support search and rescue as well as surveillance operations are in the works.
“With an agency our size, it’s hard to say no,” Bledsoe mused.
“This is a game changer in the effect we can have as a department. Other agencies in the area participating in the 287(G) program are Ava, Cabool, Houston, Mansfield and Willow Springs police departments; Texas, Douglas and Wright County Sheriff’s Offices; and the Missouri State Troopers.”
Residents with questions are welcomed to visit Chief Bledsoe at the police station for a sit down, as he has an open door policy.
“Send them down, I will answer all their questions!.”