Dover Police Receive Kent County Law Enforcement Assistance Grant and Surprise Private Donation

The Dover Police Department was awarded a total of $58,939.54 in grants and a private donation on August 3rd.  In May of 2021, the Kent County Levy Court voted in favor of providing Law Enforcement Assistance Grants to Police Agencies serving Kent County.  In a small presentation, Levy Court President Terry Pepper and Vice-President Allen Angel, provided a check to Chief Thomas Johnson, Jr. in the amount of $48,939.54 as an expression of deep appreciation for the work the Dover Police Department does on behalf of Kent County residents within the municipality.

The Grant Funding is intended to be used solely and exclusively within the City’s Law Enforcement Agency for supporting the law enforcement services within its jurisdiction, with the condition that the Dover Police Department provide the County with brief correspondence indicating how the Grant is being used. 

Shortly after that presentation, Dr. Joel Halpern who was present for the county presentation, surprised members of the Dover Police Department by making a private donation of $10,000 toward the department’s K9 unit.  

Chief Johnson stated: “The Dover PD would like to express its heartfelt appreciation to the Levy Court members and Dr. Joel Halpern who recognized the need for, and can appreciate the value of, this type of investment in public safety.  For all the right reasons, traditional sources of public safety funding are very structured with limited flexibility.  This funding will allow us to react quickly in support of community policing and community problem solving.  More specifically, it will support training, our K9 mission, new community engagement initiatives [youth, seniors, at-risk persons], and help in time-critical situations that require funding support not previously identified in other areas of the budget.  With this funding comes the added agility needed to allow us to be more effective in our agency mission.”