A $114,837 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is to be used by the city of Apache Junction for barriers to stop vehicles from being driven into city buildings.
The police department received homeland-security grants before and used them for equipment, Apache Junction Police Department Cmdr. Michael Beaton said during an Oct. 5 council work session.
“This is a grant we’ve gotten before, but typically we’re coming before you for (special weapons and tactics) equipment — we buy our SWAT vests, helmets, stuff like that with it. But in May 2023 we had a vehicle actually come up on the sidewalk and almost ram the courthouse, and we kind of realized that we were lacking some (site) hardening aspects out in front of the whole city complex,” he said.
