More than 30 law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania are set to get funding to improve the safety of their communities - this includes two departments in the Shenango Valley.

Both the New Castle Police Department and Farrell Police Department are set to receive a combined $60,000 through the Law Enforcement Recruitment Grant. Broken down, New Castle is set to receive $35,000 while Farrell will get $25,000.

Farrell PD Community and Law Enforcement Liaison Heather Darcangelo tells 21 News for the past two to three years, the department has had three to four positions open, but there is a greater need for more officers now as current officers retire or move to other agencies.

Darcangelo says the funding has helped the department hire three new officers so far.

New Castle Police Chief David Cumo says their portion of the grant will be used for $5,000 signing bonuses, seven per year for five years.

The goal of the funding is to support Act 120 training and recruitment activities. Act 120 is a mandatory training program for police officers in Pennsylvania, which is provided through the Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training Commission.

Eligible law enforcement agencies that do not cover the costs of Act 120 training can request up to $7,000 per new officer to support costs associated with the training, or if they currently hire officers that are already Act 120 trained, apply for up to $5,000 per new officer to support stipends, signing bonuses or marketing efforts, according to a news release from State Rep. Parke Wentling of Mercer County.

So far, the funding has been provided to 51 agencies throughout the commonwealth, adding up to a combined total of more than $2 million in funding to fill about 412 vacant law enforcement positions.

"Every Pennsylvanian deserves to feel safe in their communities, and making sure communities have enough police officers on the beat is a key component for public safety," said Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, chair of PCCD. "Through this funding law enforcement entities can fill gaps which will in turn improve safety in our communities."

However, that number could grow as the application portal to receive funding for ACT 120 is still open.