South Monterey County cities awarded community policing grant

Nearly a million dollars will be pumped into four South Monterey County police departments, aimed at improving the relationship between law enforcement and those communities.

On Tuesday, the Four Cities United Initiative, consisting of Gonzales, Soledad, Greenfield and King City, announced it has been awarded $850,000 in grant money from the California Board of State and Community Corrections.

All four cities plan to use the money for activities including citizen police academies, a juvenile diversion program, training for officers on understanding Spanish speaking and Oaxacan community members and crisis intervention training, among others.

KION’s Mariana Hicks will have more on this effort to improve community and police relations at 6PM.