PROVIDENCE -- The Rhode Island State Police and the Town of West
Warwick will get the largest shares of a $450,000 federal grant to help
defray law enforcement expenses for The Station nightclub fire, which
claimed 100 lives.
U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Lincoln Chafee released the figures Friday
after the federal government gave final approval to the grant, which
comes under a program financed by the U.S. Justice Department.
The money can be used to pay for police overtime, investigation of the
fire scene and forensic toxicology after the deadly West Warwick blaze
on Feb. 20.
The state police will get about $158,000 and the Town of West Warwick
will get roughly $178,000. The Warwick Police Department will also
receive $80,000, Atty. Gen. Patrick Lynch's office will get $25,000, and
the Coventry Police Department will get about $9,000.
The money is a drop in the bucket of fire-related costs for Rhode Island
taxpayers; the long-term costs have been estimated at more than $100
million. State officials projected costs of about $9 million this year
for such items as police and fire services, various criminal and civil
investigations, and hospital and medical care for victims who did not
have health insurance.
Reed thanked President Bush's administation and U.S. Senators Ernest
Hollings, D-S.C., and Judd Gregg, R-N.H., and U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy
for help in securing the money.
