By receiving a five-figure grant, the Marshall Police Department will be buying some upgraded communication equipment.

On Wednesday, January 5, Mayor Julie Schwetz signed all of the paperwork for the police department to receive a $70,000 grant through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Patrolman Steven Davis was the principal grant writer along with help of Debbie Brackman at the Pioneer Trails Regional Planning Commission.

Davis said the department will be upgrading radios in the some of the cars and the personal radios that officers carry. Police Chief Mike Donnell said the current equipment is at least 10 years old, and upgrading will improve communication immensely.

Donnell said lack of communication is always a negative when the department does exercises with other agencies.

Donnell says the department has 10 patrol vehicles, and this money will cover just a fraction of them.

Brackman said all of the proper paperwork will be submitted soon, and the new equipment could be in the vehicles by this summer.

Photo: Marshall Mayor Julie Schwetz (front) signs grant paperwork. Back, from left, Marshall Police Chief Mike Donnell, Patrolman Steven Davis and Debbie Brackman of the Pioneer Trails Regional Planning Commission. (Photo by Robert King)