{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-hoyle-salinas-communities-in-oregon-to-receive-much-needed-funding-for-law-enforcement-technology", "Wyden, Merkley, Hoyle, Salinas: Communities in Oregon to Receive Much-Needed Funding for Law-Enforcement Technology", "2024-10-02", "2024", "2024-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", "wyden", "https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Benton, Lake, Marion counties and Medford to receive a combined $5.6 million in DOJ funding\n\nWashington D.C.\u2014 U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with U.S. Representatives Val Hoyle and today announced crucial federal investments for technology to support local law enforcement\u2013including emergency response and crime prevention\u2013in Benton, Lake and Marion counties, and the city of Medford.\n\n\u201cCommunities throughout Oregon simply must have the modern tools required to prevent and fight crime in a modern world,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cI\u2019m gratified this investment will help build safer communities for Oregonians in rural and urban areas across the state.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs I hold a town hall in each of Oregon\u2019s 36 counties every year, I hear firsthand from folks about what matters most to them, including robustly supporting public safety efforts that keep Oregonians safe during disasters like wildfires and floods,\u201d said Merkley, who secured funding for these community-initiated projects as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. \u201cThese federal investments to modernize emergency radio and alert systems in our communities will help local agencies perform at their best during the worst conditions to help save lives.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs the daughter of a retired police officer, I am committed to delivering the funding and resources that our local law enforcement needs to do their jobs and keep us safe,\u201d said Rep. Salinas. \u201cThat is why I am excited to announce this $1.8 million grant for Marion County, which will be used to upgrade police equipment and communications. Ultimately, this funding will help prevent crime, improve emergency response times, and make our community safer for everyone.\u201d\n\n\u201cOne of my top priorities is helping law enforcement and emergency personnel replace outdated communications systems that fail to get critical messages across our Coastal or Cascade ranges,\u201d said Rep. Hoyle. \u201cI am proud to have helped secure this critical funding for Benton County\u2019s first responders. These investments will greatly improve communication and emergency response times, particularly in rural areas. I\u2019m grateful for the continued partnership of Senators Wyden and Merkley in prioritizing the safety of Oregonians.\u201d\n\nThe funding, from the U.S. Department of Justice\u2019s Community Oriented Policing Services Technology and Equipment Program, will give Benton County ($963,000), Lake County ($2 million); Marion County ($1.8 million) and Medford ($880,000) resources needed to acquire effective equipment, technologies, and interoperable communications that assist in responding to and preventing crime.\n\n\u201cThank you to Senators Merkley and Wyden and Representative Hoyle for supporting Benton County\u2019s First Responder Radio Infrastructure Improvement plan. The requested funding, proposed by Representative Hoyle, would be used by Benton County, Oregon to install an antenna and purchase radios necessary to improve public safety and emergency response for Benton County First Responders. A 2022 Radio Infrastructure Assessment and Improvement Plan revealed a significant challenge with Benton County\u2019s radio communications is the lack of interoperability and situational awareness caused by law enforcement and Fire/EMS when utilizing different radio systems. Furthermore, many parts of the rural county have \u201cdead-zones\u201d in which no radio communications are available. Radio infrastructure, as well as handheld and mobile radios, are also in various states of degradation and need updating. This Federal funding would support a 700MHz antenna to be installed on an existing tower and the purchase of radios to eliminate \u201cdead-zones\u201d in the first phase to achieve interoperability between first responders,\u201d said Benton County Sheriff Jef Van Arsdall.\n\n\u201cRadio communications for our Sheriff\u2019s Department and Emergency Dispatch System for the County has been an issue for many years. With the help of Senator Merkley and Senator Wyden, Lake County can now upgrade our communications system and improve the quality of service that is desperately needed. We really appreciate both Senators supporting these infrastructure upgrades,\u201d said Barry Shullanberger, Chair of the Lake County Board of Commissioners.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m grateful for these funds and the impact they will have on the members of our communities who suffered so tragically during the 2020 wildfires,\u201d said Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell. \u201cInvestments like this go a long way to establish peace of mind for residents who have encountered such trauma.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:55:29Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-hoyle-salinas-communities-in-oregon-to-receive-much-needed-funding-for-law-enforcement-technology"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.1409010514616966, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}