The Tamaqua Police Department received a $150,000 grant that will fund a program of training and education to prevent sexual violence and assault in the community.

The grant is from the Rural Violent Crime Reduction Initiative, which assists law enforcement agencies with reducing violent crime and addressing problems associated with it.

“We see entirely too much sexual violence in the headlines and in our community,” Tamaqua Police Chief Michael Hobbs said. “It is important for rural communities like ours with limited resources to have the tools and knowledge to prevent and respond to sexual violence.”

Hobbs said the police department will partner with the Sexual Assault Resource and Counseling Center and the Tamaqua Area Community Partnership on the intense 2-year initiative.

“We will provide training to increase the knowledge of our officers, sexual assault counselors and community leaders so we can appropriately respond to and prevent sexual violence,” he said.

Hobbs spoke about the grant during Tuesday’s Tamaqua Borough Council meeting, saying educational courses are aimed at teaching how to reduce - and hopefully eliminate - violent crimes.

“It will be something beneficial to have and push on in the future here,” Hobbs said.

Council President Brian Connely thanked Hobbs for his work pursuing the grant.

The grant is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and administered by the National Policing Institute and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, with support from the Small and Rural Law Enforcement Executives Association.

Agencies may use funding and support to implement violent crime reduction strategies, improve investigations, enhance services to victims, increase collaboration between local stakeholders, and for other areas that support violent crime reduction in rural communities.

“With the right skills, we can prevent sexual assault, sexual harassment, and other sexual violence in a community,” Ali Perrotto, executive director of SARCC, said. “This funding is a great opportunity for SARCC to learn with and work with Tamaqua police to help survivors of sexual violence and hold perpetrators accountable in the Tamaqua community.”

John Connelly, program officer with the LISC Safety and Justice Program, said the agency is pleased to partner with Tamaqua to reduce rural violent crime.

“Tamaqua has been an active LISC partner addressing housing, crime and fear of crime, arts & culture, economic development and other community issues,” he said.

More information is available at www.RuralVCRI.org.