Police departments capture crime-fighting technology grants
The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) has awarded a total of $159 million in crime-fighting technology grants to 37 law enforcement agencies in 25 states and one U.S. territory.
The grants were awarded under the COPS Technology Program and will be used to support the development of integrated voice and data communication networks among emergency response agencies within the region served by the winning grant applicants.
The grants will cover the purchase of equipment, enhancements to voice and data network infrastructures and project management expenses.
The departments that won the grants will be required to provide a 25 percent cash match. The technology awards were capped at $6 million for jurisdictions with populations greater than 500,000 and $3 million for populations less than 500,000. In addition to the grant funding, COPS will offer the grant winners ongoing technical assistance during the development and implementation phases of their projects.
COPS will require grant winners to participate in an initial technical assistance conference, in which technology experts will share best practices in voice and data sharing with participants.
“Fighting crime and responding to emergencies more effectively requires working seamlessly across jurisdictions and disciplines, and these grants will help law enforcement and other emergency service providers offer a higher level of service to their communities,” said COPS Director Carl Peed.
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide and supporting state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies. Since 1995, COPS has invested $12.4 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring of more than 117,000 officers. With COPS dollars, police can buy needed publications, training, technical assistance, Webcasts and other knowledge resource products.
To learn more about COPS grants, click here.
