The federal government is releasing $450,000 to help state and local law
enforcement agencies pay for expenses from the Station Nightclub fire.
The U.S. Department of Justice has finished its final review of the
state's application and will be transferring the money to the state,
according to U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island.
Reed and U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-Rhode Island, issued separate press
releases today announcing the funding.
The money will be given to the Rhode Island Justice Commission, which
will direct it to the West Warwick Police Department, the Rhode Island
State Police and other state and local entities that responded to the
fire, according to Reed.
The Feb. 20 fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick killed 100 and
injured about 200 others.
State and local governments in Rhode Island have spent more than $1
million responding to the fire.
The federal funding can be used to pay for overtime for police,
investigation of the fire scene by law enforcement officials and
forensic toxicology services provided by the Rhode Island Department of
Health.
The funding comes from the 2003 budget for the Bureau of Justice
Assistance's Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement
Assistance Grant.
