Police Apply for Program Grant

University Park residents may get the chance to help local police fight neighborhood crime.

The police have applied for a grant to receive radios for a town radio club. This is one way that Chief Michael Wynnyk thought local residents could participate in crime prevention, since the town's criminal activity increased this summer.

Lt. Wayne McCully said Wednesday that the chief is still waiting on confirmation from the governor's office.

The $17,000 grant, if awarded to University Park, would allow the town to get relatively new radio equipment.

According to the chief, the club would allow neighbors to watch out for one another, and only those in the radio club would know who else had radios.

"It's like a neighborhood watch or a neighborhood patrol," McCully said. "When someone is walking their dog, they can call in information anonymously and only serve as a witness for the police department if they see a crime."

He said all of the radio operators would receive training once the chief created a plan for how they might be used.