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Cottonwood Shores police get NRA grant for equipment

NRA grant for Cottonwood Shores police

The NRA Foundation presented the Cottonwood Shores Police Department with a $3,631 grant to purchase shotguns, ammunition, and gun slings. At the presentation were Mark McDonald of the NRA (left), Officer George Cambanis, Police Chief Johnny Liendo, and Justin Boucher of the NRA. Courtesy photo

The Cottonwood Shores Police Department received a $3,631 grant from the National Rifle Association Foundation to purchase essential law enforcement equipment. The department announced the award on Monday, Sept. 18.

With money from the grant, each police officer will now have a shotgun in their vehicle. The department also plans to purchase ammunition and gun slings with the funds.

This is the first time the Cottonwood Shores department has received such an award.

“We tried it the year before, but we didn’t meet the criteria,” Police Chief Johnny Liendo said. “We learned how to do it after that.”

Funding of this magnitude is significant, he continued.

“If I had to budget $4,000 to buy shotguns and ammunition, it would make a big dent in my budget,” he said.

Officer George Cambanis wrote the grant, including facts and figures such as the department’s size and local demographics as criteria.

“The money is out there for law enforcement,” Liendo said. “Applying can be a little bit hectic. Some of these government grants want to know a whole lot of stuff.”

With the promise of new firearms, the department converted one of its shotguns to a bean bag-shooting gun, which lets officers apply non-lethal force when necessary.

“We don’t want to shoot anybody if we don’t have to,” Liendo said. “If we can do a non-lethal (shot), that’s what we want to do.”

Liendo plans to investigate other grant-funding sources in the future to purchase additional policing essentials, such as bulletproof vests, service weapons, and shields.

“We know how to do the grants now,” he said. “We’re looking at other grants for additional things through the Governor’s Office, (Department of Justice), and stuff like that.”

The chief feels the recent grant is a sign that his department is moving in the right direction.

“These grants are available for all law enforcement agencies,” he said. “We just got fortunate to have one awarded to us. We feel like we’re on a roll now.”

nathan@thepicayune.com