Police departments in four Marshall County cities will each get $75,000 in grant money.

Benwood, Glen Dale, Cameron and McMechen will obtain equipment grants from the Justice Department's Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS, program.

The program helps local law enforcement agencies defray the cost of equipment and staffing.

Rep. Alan B. Mollohan, chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the Justice Department, said he inserted the grants into the department’s annual spending bill, which was signed into law earlier this year.

Mollohan made the announcement while visiting the Glen Dale Police Department Monday morning.

Each department must now show the government how they will spend the money. Representatives from all four departments said they need digital radio equipment and indoor cameras.

Mollohan said the money will not be available immediately. The departments must first get pricing on equipment they want and apply for the grants.

Officers said the grants are not just about getting the latest equipment. They said it will also make some tasks quicker and more streamlined so they can spend more time patrolling the streets.