Kyle City Council approved the acceptance of a grant from the Office of the Governor in the amount of $44,032 to fund a full-time victims coordinator for the Kyle Police Department for one year. The grant also requires the city and department to fund 35 percent of the position's total cost, which is about $65,000.
Kyle Police Chief Jeff Barnett said the exact dollar amount for which the department is responsible will be reduced the longer it takes to hire someone and begin paying their salary and benefits.
"That will fluctuate based on the beginning date of the employee that we hire," Barnett said. "We're already into the grant period, and it has a definite ending date. The further we go into the year, the less that match becomes, but also the less services we're able to provide to the citizens."
Barnett said the new position will allow the department to better serve the victims of crimes in Kyle.
"This will be an opportunity for us to provide an outreach to victims and ensure that they are provided with all of the available information and support and cooperation from our police department throughout their ordeal," Barnett said.
The grant was put to a vote at the council's meeting Oct. 3, but because a four-vote majority could not be reached, the proposal failed. The topic was reintroduced Oct. 16 and ultimately passed 4-2. The two dissenting votes came from councilmen Ray Bryant and Brad Pickett.
"It's a great position, and I think it's a valuable position, but it's a tight budget season," Bryant said.
In addition to monetary concerns, Bryant said that because the grant is only guaranteed until Aug. 31 there is a chance the person who fills the position could be without a job if the city decides to discontinue the position and associated funding requirements when the grant ends.
Barnett said the council also passed two measures at the Oct. 16 meeting that will fund some of the department's burden.
The council authorized the sale of confiscated and awarded firearms to Cabela's and the acceptance of a $3,260.43 donation from Target to the Kyle Police Department. Barnett said the collection of firearms, which were sold for $4,855, consisted of "about 36" weapons which had been accrued since the 1990s.
Barnett said because the city is allowed to spend some its share of the expense on "in-kind" expenditures, Kyle will spend $300 on computer software, $1,000 on office supplies, $1,200 on educational literature, $11,220 on mileage reimbursement and $971 on travel and training for the new hire.
"This position is a direct benefit to the victims of crime in our community of all ages," Barnett said. "Children, adults, it will help them tremendously through the criminal justice system as they try to recover from whatever victimization they may have experienced."
Barnett said the position's responsibilities would include everything from helping victims access any funds or information for which they are eligible to putting them in touch with the state's counseling agencies.
"There are funds available at the state level for victims of crimes if they meet certain criteria, but the paperwork can be intimidating to a victim of crime who has never experienced that, and this coordinator will help them request assistance with really anything involving their crime or victimization that's out there," he said.
