Pappas, Shaheen Announce $752,000 Grant for Strafford County Sheriff’s Department

Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) and U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen announced the delivery of $752,000 for the Strafford County Sheriff’s Department to make needed upgrades to their radio technology. These funds were secured by Pappas and Shaheen in a legislative package to fund the government through fiscal year 2022. 

The Strafford County Sheriff’s current radio infrastructure is more than ten years old and in need of replacement. This infrastructure is used by law enforcement in Strafford County, which currently doesn’t have a Fire, EMS, and Emergency Management County Wide Radio System. Upgrading these radio systems will help police, fire, and EMS communicate better, improving public safety across the 13 towns and cities in the county. This new system will cover 95% of the county and provide the infrastructure for future use by local airports, DPWs, and other municipal dispatch services.

“Our county law enforcement and public safety officers need modern, upgraded technology to keep our communities safe,” said Congressman Pappas. “Upgrading the Stafford County Sheriff’s Department radio system will improve communication by and between law enforcement, fire, and EMS, helping to improve public safety across all of Strafford County. I am proud to have secured funding for these important upgrades, and I’ll continue to advocate for the needs of law enforcement and public safety in my work in Washington.”

“We must ensure New Hampshire law enforcement agencies have the tools they need to protect our communities,” said Senator Shaheen, who serves as chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the Department of Justice. “I was glad to work with Congressman Pappas to secure $752,000 for Strafford County to upgrade its radio infrastructure. With the new equipment, officers will have more reliable communications—improving response times for emergency situations. As Congress finalizes the next fiscal year’s government funding legislation, I’ll keep working to provide needed investments into the COPS TEP program.”

“Modern communication technology is a critical resource for our officers,” said Strafford County Sheriff Mark Brave. “These funds will directly benefit public safety in Strafford County by improving communication and coordination among and between not just officers with the Sheriff’s department, but public safety officers including fire and EMS as well. We want to thank our representatives for supporting this project, and helping ensure that we can make these upgrades.”