Twelve law enforcement agencies around the state, including one in northwest Ohio, will receive grants in the 12th round of the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program, the governor’s office announces. In northwest Ohio, the Paulding Police Department will get $20,077. The grants will pay for retention and hiring bonuses to help maintain current law enforcement staffing levels, recruit new officers, and continue public safety services to prevent and investigate violent crime. A total of $1.3 million in grants were awarded statewide in the latest funding allocations. The state created the grant program in 2021 to give local law enforcement additional tools to address violence, including increases in crime associated with law enforcement retirements and resignations. To date, about $80 million dollars has been awarded to 170 Ohio law enforcement agencies as part of the program.