It seems Lincoln's gain is Grand Island's loss, when it comes to federal grants for police.
A recent U.S. Justice Department audit found that Lincoln erroneously received $679,000 in federal stimulus money to hire additional officers. Meanwhile, the Grand Island Police Department, which qualified for nearly $600,000 through the same program, was denied funding.
Auditors say the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, or C.O.P.S., used inaccurate formulas to rank grant applicants.
The audit does not mention requiring Lincoln to return the money.
The grant to Lincoln is paying for four additional patrol officer positions. The federal audit says that if not for the miscalculation, Grand Island would have gotten money for three new officers.
