Anonymous Donor Gifts Police Department $100K for Training and Equipment

An anonymous citizen is making sure police officers in Ormond Beach, Florida, have what they need to serve their community.

“A $100,000 ‘anonymous’ gift to the Ormond Beach Police Foundation could turn into $200,000 in much-needed equipment and training for the city’s police officers,” the Daytona Beach News-Journal reported.

On Monday, the nonprofit foundation presented the check to the police department with the goal of raising more funds to match the gift.

“We want to thank these officers today for holding that thin blue line for us,” said City Commissioner Dwight Selby, who also serves as president of the foundation.

Initially named the Ormond Beach Community Foundation in 2012, the organization was created to help residents through different projects.

However, a few months ago its board of directors decided to rename it and focus on supporting law enforcement.

“The foundation now provides support for the police department’s training, technology, and equipment that are not funded by city residents’ property tax dollars, and offers help to families of officers that have been injured or killed in the line of duty,” the News-Journal article read.

At the ceremony on Monday, Selby said if the community values public safety, its leaders must rise to the challenge.

“We’ve got to do this. We’ve got to figure out how to properly fund and support law enforcement so that they know that they’re valued, because what they do is extremely important to us,” he noted.

On the police department’s wish list are de-escalation classes, a training simulator, a leadership course for lieutenants, and upgrades to equipment such as ballistic shields, thermal sights, and more license plate readers.

The items are not funded through taxpayer dollars, Police Chief Robert Godfrey explained.

“All I can say is this year has been a very challenging year for us,” he said, adding, “And this donation, it’s been a bright spot for us.”