The intent of the Massachusetts Municipal Public Safety Staffing Program is to assist eligible municipalities to maintain public safety and emergency response services by helping to address police and/or fire department staffing shortfalls.
This program is available through state funds authorized under a reserve to support municipal improvements under Chapter 24 of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' General Appropriations Act of 2023.
Funding may be requested for the following purposes:
• To restore laid off sworn police officers and/or firefighters,
• To retain police officers/firefighters who would otherwise be laid off during the current fiscal year if not for this funding,
• To restore police/fire staffing levels due to attrition and other reasons,
• To restore or retain civilian employees working at the police and/or fire department, and/or
• For overtime necessary to provide adequate shift coverage and/or to maintain staffing levels.
Eligible applicants for public safety and emergency staffing include communities that: (1) have populations of at least 60,000; and (2) demonstrate that their police or fire departments had an operating budget per capita of less than $200 in 2010.