Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet announced today that the Florence Police Department has won a $24,908 rural development grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The funds will be used to purchase personal safety equipment for police officers.

“This grant is a perfect example of how USDA resources help support our state’s rural communities,” Bennet said. “From better equipping our police officers to helping small business owners launch their business, USDA rural development grants provide targeted support where it’s needed most.”

“This has been a tremendous help,” Florence Police Chief Michael DeLaurentis said. “Over the course of the past few years our city budget, like those in most other cities, has been ever-tightening and so we’re glad to have this additional support to help us purchase the equipment we need.”

The USDA’s rural development grant program is an important piece of the 2014 Farm Bill, passed in February. As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Bennet helped write the initial bill. He was also a member of the Farm Bill Conference Committee, where he helped negotiate the final language of the bill.