Money for night-vision binoculars, dogs that can detect drugs and vans to carry the SWAT team around just isn't to be found in the Richfield Police Department budget.

But Police Chief Barry Fritz is delighted to be getting $171,525 for those and other purchases thanks to federal stimulus grants from Washington.

"It's grant money, and this police equipment is critical to our business," he said. "If we can get that without going to regular taxpayers, that's great."

PANIC ALARMS TO SCHOOL OFFICERS: Richfield's crime-fighting grant is one of 17 going to cities in Hennepin County. The grants, which total $5.5 million, were accepted last week by the Hennepin County board.

New Hope is planning to install a panic alarm button in its City Council chambers as part of a larger City Hall security initiative using stimulus funding.

Other cities are using the money for everything from buying computer equipment and handguns to paying for police overtime and hiring school liaison officers.

HOW THE MONEY WAS AWARDED: Using a formula based on population and crime statistics, Minneapolis got the biggest grant -- $3.8 million to pay for 87 police officers during the second half of this year. At the other end of the spectrum, Champlin got $23,849 to be used to replace a squad car.

Bloomington, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Eden Prairie, Edina, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Maple Grove, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Robbinsdale and St. Louis Park also got grants.

Richfield hopes to acquire a van to replace the converted ambulance it now uses to transport its SWAT team. It also plans to buy shotguns, computer equipment, radar units and SWAT team equipment like ballistic helmets and night-vision binoculars.

The department also has a couple of canine officers but would like to add a narcotics detection dog.

"We think we could use one," Fritz said. "They're a bit easier to maintain than regular police dogs. They can be very small and don't have to work with a specific handler."

Fritz said that, before seeking the funding, he went to officers and detectives to figure out what the department needed most.

"This is huge," Fritz said. "We just don't have money for the larger capital items in the regular city budget."

Mary Jane Smetanka • 612-673-7380