Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Executive Office of Public Safety and Security
Office of Grants and Research
State Fiscal Year 2024
Massachusetts Municipal Public Safety Staffing Grant
Report to the Massachusetts General Court
Senate and House Committees on Ways and Means
September 2024
Maura T. Healey Kimberley Driscoll
Governor Lieutenant Governor
Terrence M. Reidy Kevin J. Stanton
Secretary Executive Director
Introduction
Legislation-15990026 - Municipal Regionalization and Efficiencies Incentive Reserve
The Office of Grants and Research (OGR) is pleased to submit this report on the FY24 Massachusetts
Municipal Public Safety Staffing Grant Program to the House and Senate Committees on Ways and
Means.
OGR is a state agency that is part of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS).
EOPSS is responsible for the policy development and budget oversight of the secretariat’s agencies,
independent programs, and several boards which aid in crime prevention, homeland security preparedness,
and ensuring the safety of residents and visitors in the Commonwealth. The agencies that fall under EOPSS
are:
• Massachusetts State Police
• Massachusetts Emergency management Agency
• Sex Offender Registry Board
• Department of Fire Services
• Department of Criminal Justice Information Services
• Department of Correction
• Parole Board
• Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
• State 911 Department
• Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab
• Municipal Police Training Committee
• Massachusetts National Guard
• Office of Grants and Research
In addition to managing and administering state-funded criminal justice, homeland security, and traffic
safety grant programs, OGR is the State Administering Agency (SAA) for federal grant funding received
by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from the Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In total,
the agency manages more than $150 million in grant funds annually. Additionally, OGR’s Research and
Policy Analysis Division (RPAD), which houses the Massachusetts Statistical Analysis Center, utilizes
research and evaluation to promote public safety in the Commonwealth by informing criminal justice and
public safety policy. The goals of the OGR include:
• Improving community safety and local preparedness by providing resources to communities based
on need;
• Investing in evidenced based innovative programs;
• Granting awards based on national and state priorities;
• Fostering collaboration across jurisdictions by delivering grant dollars with a regional approach;
• Making funding decisions based upon research, empirical data, and best practices; and
• Ensuring the grant awarding process is transparent and in compliance with federal and state
guidelines.
This document serves as the report authored by OGR regarding the FY24 Massachusetts Municipal
Public Safety Staffing Grant Program.
Program Narrative
Pursuant to Fiscal Year 2024 General Appropriation Act, Chapter 24 of the Acts of 2023, OGR released
an Availability of Grant Funds (AGF) for municipalities meeting the criteria as detailed in the
appropriation language below:
1599-0026 For a reserve to support municipal improvements...
provided further, that not less than $5,000,000 shall be transferred to the executive office of public
safety and security for a competitive grant program for public safety and emergency staffing to be
administered by the executive office; provided further, that the grants shall be awarded to
communities using the same methodology and criteria used in fiscal year 2023; provided further,
that grant funds under this item shall only be provided to communities that submitted qualifying
applications that were approved by the executive office of public safety and security in fiscal year
2023; provided further, that not more than 4 per cent of funds appropriated for the grant program
shall be expended for the administrative costs of the program; and provided further, that not later
than February 15, 2024, each state entity administering grant funds through this item shall submit
a report to the house and senate committees on ways and means detailing grants awarded through
this item and the criteria used for distribution
Applicant Eligibility
Pursuant to the language in the original appropriation, ten (10) communities were eligible to apply for
funding. Those communities were:
• Brockton
• Fall River
• Framingham
• Haverhill
• Lawrence
• Lowell
• Lynn
• Malden
• Newton
• Somerville
Due to level funding, applicants were encouraged to apply for the same amounts that they were awarded in
FY23. The funds are available for both public safety and emergency staffing, thus allowing municipalities
to utilize funds for police and/or fire needs. The Mayor/City Manager for each municipality was responsible
for determining whether applications for funding will be submitted for police and/or fire, and how much
would be appropriated to the respective department.
Allowable Funding Purposes
• To restore laid off sworn police officers and/or firefighters
• To retain police officers and/or firefighters who would otherwise be laid off during the current
fiscal year if not for this funding
• To restore police/fire staffing levels due to attrition and other reasons
• To restore or retain civilian employees working at the police and/or fire department
• For overtime necessary to provide adequate shift coverage and/or to maintain staffing levels
Allowable Costs
• Salaries
• Employer-paid fringe benefit costs
 • Overtime costs
• Additional direct costs with a specific purpose and a specific amount associated with hiring or
rehiring or retaining personnel (e.g., training, uniforms)
Application and Review Process
OGR awarded the appropriated funds through a competitive grant process, according to the following
timeline:
Solicitation Posted: Thursday, September 14th, 2023
Application Deadline: Thursday, October 19th, 2023, 4:00 p.m.
Award Announcements: December 2023
Anticipated Grant Period: January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024
Each applicant was required to submit a completed online application form and budget worksheet.
Municipalities requesting funding to support both the police department and fire departments were
required to submit separate applications for each department.
Awarded Funds
OGR received a total of seventeen (17) applicants. The following are the seventeen (17) grant recipients
for FY24 Municipal Public Safety Staffing Grant along with their award amount. Awards were based
on reviewers’ best assessment of data, information, and need presented by each municipality in its
application.
Funding Funding
Eligible Awarded for Awarded for Total Award
Municipality Police Staffing Fire Staffing Amount
Brockton $293,850.00 $267,600.00 $561,450.00
Fall River $592,365.00 $750,000.00 $1,342,365.00
Framingham $ 61,887.00 $61,887.00 $123,774.00
Haverhill $203,160.00 $75,000.00 $278,160.00
No funding
Lawrence
$1,005,200.02 requested $1,005,200.02
Lowell $180,825.00 $75,625.00 $256,450.00
No funding
Lynn
$528,321.21 requested $528,321.21
No funding
Newton
$103,064.46 requested $103,064.46
Malden $215,100.00 $215,100.00 $430,200.00
Somerville $79,500.00 $91,211.79 $170,711.79
Total $3,263,272.69 $1,536,423.79 $4,799,696.48
Disbursement
Fifty percent of the approved award is rendered once a contract is executed. To help ensure compliance
with grant rules and regulations, the remaining fifty percent is rendered after OGR receives and
approves a grantee’s second quarterly report (on or about July 1, 2024).
Contracting
In December 2023, each of the seventeen (17) grantees (police and fire departments) were sent a
contract packet containing a Standard Contract, Contractor Authorization Signature Listing Form, OGR
Subrecipient Grant Conditions, and OGR reporting requirements.
During the months of December 2023 and January 2024, each grantee was sent a copy of its executed
Standard Contract, its formal award notification to begin incurring costs.
In accordance with appropriation language, no more than 4% of total awards was set aside for
administrative costs. The total amount set aside for OGR administration was $200,000.