MOODY, Texas (KXXV) — The city of Moody is applying for a federal COPS grant to hire an additional police officer in response to steady population growth and increased public safety needs.
- Moody’s population has grown from just over 1,000 to around 1,500 residents, prompting concerns about maintaining adequate police coverage.
- City officials are seeking a $125,000 federal COPS grant to fund a new officer position over a three-year period.
- Leaders plan to sustain the position permanently after the grant ends, aiming to strengthen public safety as the community continues to grow.
Check out what city leaders have planned:
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The city of Moody is growing — and city leaders are working to ensure its police force grows with it.
Once a small town of just over 1,000 residents, Moody’s population has now climbed to around 1,500, according to longtime residents.
“It used to be a little over one thousand, but now it’s around 15-hundred thousand people, so it’s grown,” said Joy, a Moody resident.
To keep up with the increasing demand for public safety, city officials are applying for a federal COPS grant. The funding would support the hiring of an additional police officer over the next three years.
“The chief, Keith, and I are looking ahead and seeing where we are in the next three years,” one Moody police official, Mark Gosselin, said.
If approved, the city would receive $125,000 spread out over a three-year period.
“The money will funnel in monthly, so it’s $125,000 for the three years,” the official said.
City leaders say their long-term goal is to permanently fund the position once the grant term ends.
“The goal is by the end of that third year and going into the fourth, our city should be in a good shape to permanently add on that extra officer,” Gosselin said.
Residents say the current police presence is strong — particularly around schools and along busy roads where speeding has been a recurring issue.
“The police patrol really good and they’re usually around the schools,” Joy said. “They mainly try to keep people speeding through Moody, and a lot of the tickets are speeding.”
As Moody continues to expand, city officials hope federal support will help keep public safety a top priority.
