U.S. Representative Anna Paulina Luna presented a $480,000 federal funding check to the St. Petersburg Police Department on June 2 to support the purchase of new police vehicles.
The funding will be used for the department’s Public Safety Vehicles Project, which aims to add marked Ford Explorer SUVs in order to improve emergency response times, ease shift transitions, and help maintain continuous public safety coverage throughout the city. The initiative also allows the department to expand its take-home vehicle program for eligible sworn officers.
“I fought to secure this funding because investing in law enforcement is one of the best ways we can keep our communities safe,” Luna said. “The men and women of the St. Petersburg Police Department show up every day to keep our community safe, and they deserve the resources they need to do their jobs well.”
According to a press release, assigning take-home vehicles can increase law enforcement visibility and help St. Petersburg remain competitive with other large regional agencies. Mayor Ken Welch thanked Luna for her role in securing federal support: “Investing in public safety and supporting our officers continues to be a top priority for the City of St. Petersburg under my administration,” Welch said, “The commitment we have made to public safety takes significant resources, and we’re incredibly grateful for Congresswoman Luna’s effort to secure $480,000 for new public safety vehicles for the St. Pete Police Department.”
Luna presented the check at police headquarters alongside city leaders including Welch, City Council Chair Lisset Hanewicz, and Police Chief Anthony Holloway.
Florida Politics maintains facilities at 204 37th Avenue North in St. Petersburg and is owned by Extensive Enterprises Media; it provides statewide coverage focused on Florida’s campaigns, elections, government policy and lobbying activities as part of its operations in political journalism and new media, according to the official website.
