Bergen County sheriff, Bogota to split $1.2 million from feds. Here's what it will fund

BOGOTA — Federal grants totaling $1.2 million for county and municipal projects were announced during a press conference at the borough's police station on Tuesday.

The recipients and their federal public safety grants include:

• Bergen County Sheriff's Office: $954,000 for 100 new security cameras and trailer-mounted message boards.

• Bogota: $255,000 to underwrite a state-of-the-art communication system to replace the department's two-way radio system damaged by lightning 18 months ago.

Bergen County Undersheriff Jin Sung Kim said the grant would expand the department's ability "to monitor incidents and combat car thefts around the county."

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-Wyckoff, announced the grants during a multi-stop "Lower Tax Tuesday" tour announcing federal grants he had worked on with local officials.

"We are very grateful to the congressman for the money he has awarded us," said Consuelo Carpenter, president of the Bogota Borough Council.

"This new federal investment will help keep thousands of North Jersey residents and our brave first responders safe," Gottheimer said. "There is nothing partisan about that. And it keeps our tax dollars here."

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After a 54% increase in Bergen County car thefts during 2022, Gottheimer said, the cameras will be mounted in county parks as a security measure. The county grant will also finance message boards to communicate with attendees at county park events and during emergencies. The department's 600 staff members assist the county's 70 municipalities and 68 municipal police departments.

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Bogota's grant will finance a communication system, the infrastructure base, 25 mobile radios, 16 car radios, two complete dispatch consoles, antennas, microphones and chargers. The borough has been using the county's digital trunk radio system while awaiting a decision on its grant request.

Gottheimer is a member of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus and the Congressional Fire Services Caucus.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bergen County sheriff, Bogota to split $1.2 million in federal grants