Local law enforcement to receive $1 billion in grants
Cities will be able to put more police officers on the streets with the $1 billion in federal grant money announced Monday at the Washington-based National League of Cities’ (NLC) Congressional City Conference. In announcing the funding for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the $1 billion is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and is intended to create jobs as well as enhance public safety.
The grants are expected to create or save 5,500 law enforcement officer jobs. “This investment of [ARRA] funds will pump new resources into our communities through a program with a proven track record,” Holder said in a statement. “We will not just create and preserve jobs, but also increase community policing capacity and crime-prevention efforts.” NLC President Kathleen Novak said the new funds “are much needed and much appreciated.” “The [COPS] program is a successful example of cities and the federal government working together,” she said in a statement.
Since its creation in 1995, the COPS Office has distributed $10 billion to more than 13,300 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of nearly 117,000 officers. Information on applying for the grants is available at www.cops.usdoj.gov.