Rep. Eugene Vindman Secures Federal Funding for Local Public Safety Projects
Money was approved by Congress and awaits the president's signature.
By Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
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Congress has approved $2.7 million in federal funding for Fredericksburg-area public safety projects, Rep. Eugene Vindman’s (D-VA-07) office announced this week. The funding is part of the House- and Senate-approved appropriations package for fiscal year 2026, which now awaits a signature from President Donald Trump.
It includes $1 million to modernize the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office’s patrol radios and $967,000 to upgrade rural communications abilities for the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office.
“I’m proud of my small freshman office” for getting this funding for Virginia’s Seventh District, Vindman said in a phone interview with the Advance on Wednesday.
The House of Representatives’ Community Project Funding process allows members to request federal investment for local projects. Vindman said he worked with leaders across the district to identify 15 projects, 14 of which received funding. Five of these projects support local law enforcement, which Vindman said is “a top priority right now.”
“As a former prosecutor, I recognize that every community is entitled to safety and security and I’m glad to be able to play a role in that by supporting [these projects],” he said.
The funding will allow the Stafford Sheriff’s Office to replace 345 mobile radios installed in patrol vehicles. The new radios will come with updated features such as “a third radio frequency band, Long-Term Evolution (LTE) connection, and playback in the field,” according to a press release from Vindman’s office.
For Caroline, the funding will “modernize the department’s radio communication” so that it can provide “reliable coverage in and around Caroline County school buildings and over school Wi-Fi.” The radios currently in use don’t have this capacity.
Vindman also secured $245,000 to install solar-powered emergency call boxes along the Town of Culpeper’s trail network.
“There are a few really basic functions that government is supposed to provide and one of them is safety and security,” Vindman said. “Every resident of the Seventh Congressional District should be confident that if they ever face an emergency or need help from law enforcement, they can contact them and they can function together.”
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