New Haven’s police and fire boat is wearing out, the cameras around the port and outside school buildings are getting old, and the police department wants more help for officers dealing with trauma. On Tuesday, Oct. 20, the Board of Alders Public Safety Committee will take up three requests that would let the city chase federal money for all three.
The committee meets at 6 p.m. in the Board of Alders Chamber on the second floor of City Hall, 165 Church St., according to the meeting agenda, dated Oct. 13. The meeting can be watched on the Board of Alders YouTube channel, and residents can send written comments to publictestimony@newhavenct.gov.
Each item is an order that would authorize Mayor Justin Elicker to apply for and accept the grant. Here is what is in each one, based on the city’s own filings.
A replacement “Marine 1” boat and port cameras
The largest request is for up to $1,893,528 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Port Security Grant program, according to the agenda.
In an Aug. 27 letter to Board of Alders President Tyisha Walker-Myers, the city wrote that its current all-hazards vessel, which both the Fire and Police departments use for water operations, rescues and policing, “is nearing the end of its life use.” The grant would cover 75% of a replacement. The letter also says the city has to upgrade port-security cameras and equipment every five to seven years, and the money would continue that work.
The city would have to put up a 25% local match. The letter puts the federal share at up to about $1.42 million and the local match at $473,382. Most of the match would come from Fire Department safety equipment capital money and the city’s annual camera maintenance contract, with the rest counted as staff time spent running the grant.
One detail for the committee to sort out: the order’s title and the agenda list the request as “up to $1,893,528,” while the final paragraph of the draft order lists “up to $1,701,213.”
More help for officers after traumatic calls
The second request is for up to $250,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice’s COPS office under the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act.
The draft order says New Haven won a grant from the same program in 2024, set up an officer wellness program and contracted a dedicated clinician to lead it. The new money would expand that work with a “train the trainer” program to strengthen peer support for officers coping with trauma, a peer-to-peer support app, and an additional on-call clinician for support after critical incidents, according to the city’s letter. This grant requires no local match.
Cameras and keycard doors outside schools
The third request is for a $614,993 school security project through the Justice Department’s COPS School Violence Prevention Program.
The application was developed by the city’s School Security Taskforce, which includes the Board of Education, Emergency Management, Police, Fire and the city’s 911 dispatch center, the letter says. The project would add or upgrade exterior security cameras and keycard access points on the outside of school buildings so that responding agencies can coordinate better. The draft order says existing equipment is nearing the end of its useful life and that more access points have been identified as important for emergency responses.
The federal share would be up to $461,245. The required 25% match, up to $153,748, would come from Board of Education school facilities capital funds, according to the city.
What happens next
The Public Safety Committee, chaired by Alder Brian Wingate, will hear the three items Oct. 20. Committee items then go to the full Board of Alders for a final vote. Approval only lets the city apply for and accept the money; the federal agencies still decide whether New Haven gets the grants.
The orders and the city’s letters are on file for public inspection in the Office of Legislative Services at 165 Church St. and are posted with the meeting on the city’s legislative website.
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