The Lynnwood Police Department has been awarded multiple federal grants to promote mental health and wellness for its officers and to boost its community engagement efforts.

Lynnwood was among a dozen Western Washington cities to receive grant awards through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Byrne Grant program, which aims to prevent crime and assist criminal justice programs based on local needs identified by the jurisdiction.

The department plans to use the $11,868 grant to create a smartphone app to help the community access information about the police department, said police spokesperson Joanna Small. The free app will be a “one-stop shop” that links to the department’s social media accounts, sends push alerts for real-time traffic and crime reports, allows residents to submit complaints or feedback, and provides department contact information.

“We are trying to get all of the pertinent police information in one place to make two-way communication between the department and the community as easy as possible,” she said.

The app was initially estimated to cost $15,000 and grant funded. Small said the department is still working out the details and that additional funds for the app may come from the police department’s budget.

Additionally, Lynnwood police received $54,000 in grant funding to promote mental health programs. Last week, the Justice Department listed Lynnwood among 65 recipients of grants through the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) program, which works to improve the delivery of and access to mental health and wellness services for law enforcement.

Small said Police Chief Jim Nelson is currently working on a plan for the officer wellness program and will release more information at a later time. She added that the department is also seeking clarification on how the funds can be spent.

“The chief hasn’t rolled out his full plan yet and is still in talks with the police officers’ guild to work out exactly how we can use that money to beef up our wellness program internally,” she said.

–By Cody Sexton