Hemet Police Department Receives Grant to Fight Alcohol-related Crime
City will receive $40,000 to Reduce Alcohol Problems
Chief Brown of the Hemet Police Department announced that the Hemet Police Department has been awarded a $40,000.00 grant from the California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to battle alcohol-related crime. The grant was approved by the Hemet City Council August 14th.
The grant is one of 54 awarded in California to local law enforcement agencies through ABC’s Grant Assistance Program (GAP). Chief Brown said, “We are happy to have received the grant. It is a perfect fit with the Hemet ROCs program we are rolling out.”
The grants strengthen local law enforcement efforts by combining the efforts of local police officers and ABC agents. ABC agents have expertise in alcoholic beverage laws and can help communities reduce alcohol-related problems.
“The program improves the quality of life in neighborhoods,” said ABC Director Jacob Appelsmith. “We’ve seen a real difference in the communities where the grant program resources have been invested.”
The GAP Program was created in 1995 to strengthen partnerships between ABC and local law enforcement agencies. The program is designed to put bad operators out of business, keep alcohol away from minors and bring penalties such as fines, suspensions or revocations against businesses that violate the law.
The funds will be used to reduce the number of alcoholic beverage sales to minors, obviously intoxicated patrons, illegal solicitations of alcohol, and other criminal activities such as the sale and possession of illegal drugs.
The GAP Program has distributed over $20 million to local law enforcement to combat alcohol-related crime. ABC is a Department of the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency.