By Aidan Mortensen | KOAL News

On Wednesday, Nov. 12, Price City Police Captain Brandon Ratcliffe announced on social media that the Price City Police Department had been awarded two grants totaling $109,673.07.

The first grant given to the PCPD is the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program Grant, which, according to the department,” focuses on safely securing, storing, tracking, and returning relinquished guns held for safekeeping, as well as educating, promoting, and providing resources for those in our community struggling with their mental health.”

Additionally, the grant funds allow the department to hire a seasonal employee to work in the evidence room. 

This grant comes in at $72,673.07.

The second grant awarded to the department is the State Asset Forfeiture Grant, totaling $37,000. The department stated that this funding will be used to purchase a Raman Spectrometer, a device that will be used in the testing of illicit substances seized by PCPD.

This device analyzes illicit substances by creating structural fingerprints to identify molecules. This allows officers to analyze substances through their packaging, helping ensure that they are not exposed to harmful materials.

This grant comes at a time when the PCPD and the Carbon Metro Drug Task Force are seeing an uptick in fatal and nonfatal overdoses related to cocaine use, as well as an increased likelihood of fentanyl being mixed into street-purchased drugs. This equipment provides an extra layer of protection for officers.

“We understand we are here first and foremost to provide public safety and secondly, to be of service to the members and visitors of our community,” closes the statement. “If you have any ideas, questions, or concerns on how we can best serve you, if you have any ideas for community events, grant funding, etc., send an email to CPT. Brandon Ratcliffe at brandonr@priceutah.gov.”