MOORPARK : U.S. Grant Sought to Help Pay for Deputy

Moorpark wants more police officers on the street and is willing to consider spending about $115,000 a year to make it happen, city officials said.

The City Council approved a plan Wednesday to apply for a grant under the federal crime bill, which would help pay for one additional deputy on the city’s 20-deputy force, said Lt. Marty Rouse, who heads the Moorpark division of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.

But the federal government will only cover about $75,000 of the expected $420,000 it will cost to pay for the new deputy for three years, Rouse said.

The new deputy would spend half of his or her time in the city’s DARE program and the rest as a community service officer.

Faced with a possible deficit for next fiscal year, the council approved the grant application but said the ultimate decision about spending the city’s share of the money would have to wait until the final budget is drawn up in July.

“It is an enormous sum of money,” Councilman Scott Montgomery said. “We want to go forward in the application process, but that will depend on next year’s budget.”

Montgomery said he and the other four council members are interested in seeking the grant because the growing city will likely have to pay for at least one more officer anyway.