The town that lost $350,000 in annual revenue from the closing of Renfro, its only industry, could at least add police padding with protective vests and a guaranteed officer slot.

The town has applied for two different grants that would benefit the police department, according to Whitmire Police Department Chief of Police Jeremiah Sinclair.

The first is the COPS or, Community Oriented Policing Services, grant funded by stimulus money. The grant, if received, would help Whitmire’s police department retain one officer despite the town’s difficult financial climate since losing Renfro and its tax and utility revenue.

In past years, COPS grants have helped departments hire new officers, but now, fed by stimulus funds, the grant helps retain positions or rehire those who were cut because of the economy.

If the COPS grant is awarded to Whitmire, $146,000 will cover one officer’s salary for three years, but the town must promise to pay the officer’s salary the fourth year.

The town also applied for a Justice Assistance Grant, or JAG Program funding, for police equipment, says Sinclair.

Among requested items are bulletproof vests, new laptops for patrol cars, a new police vehicle, traffic safety vests and a GIS mapping system that would have the ability to keep track of all the town’s patrol cars, among other perks.

Sinclair says there are currently four full-time patrol cars and two used part-time by reserve police.

Some of the cars have well over 100,000 miles on them, he says.

And for the town...

Police department aside, the town itself is hoping for grant money to update its raw water line that runs from the Enoree River to the town’s water filter plant.

The current line is about 60 years old, Mayor Tim Carroll. says.

The Town Council passed a resolution last week committing the town to $75,000 in matching funds if the $525,000 Community Development Block Grant was awarded to the town for the line.