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Press Release

The Justice Department Awards $6.8 Million To Northern Ohio For Crime Enforcement And Prevention

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Ohio

The U.S. Department of Justice gave more than $6.8 million to fight crime in Northern Ohio this month, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Today, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Dettelbach announced funding awards for the Northern District of Ohio, to be used to hire additional police officers and school resource officers.

The grantees, the additional officers to be hired and the grant amount, which includes salary and benefits for officers to three years, are as follows:

Akron, 10 officers, $1.25 million.

Austintown, 2 officers, $250,000.

Canton, 7 officers. $851,949.

Cleveland, 10 officers. $1.25 million.

Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, 4 officers, $499,000.

Lima, 1 officer, $125,000.

Mansfield, 4 officers, $849,844.

Toledo, 10 officers, $1.25 million.

Warren, 2 officers, $250,000.

Additionally, the Northern Ohio Violent Crime Consortium was awarded $500,000, which will be used for data analysts and improved technology. NOVCC is made up of the eight largest departments in Northern Ohio – Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Elyria, Lorain, Mansfield, Toledo and Youngstown – and are engaged in intelligence-led policing efforts.

Earlier this month, the Department also awarded $1 million to fund crime prevention and enforcement efforts in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood on Cleveland’s southeast side. The money will be used over three years to pay for crime prevention programs, training for felons returning for prison, as well as the continuation V-GRIP gun suppression initiative, in which federal agents work with Cleveland police to arrest people who illegally possess firearms.

“Today, the Justice Department is proud to support the brave and innovative men and women fighting and preventing crime in Northern Ohio,” Dettelbach said. “For people listening to those who would indiscriminately shrink or simply shut down the federal government, today’s grants, which support cops on the street and crucial crime prevention, is a reminder of the valuable role the federal government plays.”

“In the wake of past tragedies, it's clear that we need to be willing to take all possible steps to ensure that our kids are safe when they go to school,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “These critical investments represent the Justice Department's latest effort to strengthen key law enforcement capabilities, and to provide communities with the resources they need to protect our young people. Especially in a time of increased challenges and limited budgets, our top priority must always be the safety and well-being of our children.”

Overall the COPS Office funded awards to 263 cities and counties, aimed at creating 937 law enforcement positions.  More than $125 million will be awarded nationally, including nearly $45 million to fund 356 new school resource officer positions.

The COPS Hiring Program offers grants to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to hire or rehire community policing officers.  The program provides the salary and benefits for officer and deputy hires for three years.

Grantees for the 2013 hiring program were selected based on their fiscal needs, local crime rates, and their community policing plans.  There was an additional focus this year on agencies requesting assistance in developing school safety programs that would include the hiring of a school resource officer.  School resource officer positions funded by the COPS Office are sworn law enforcement positions that work within a school district or facility, interacting directly with school administrators and students.    

The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide.  Since 1995, COPS has awarded over $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 125,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training, and technical assistance.

For the entire list of grantees and additional information about the 2013 COPS Hiring Program, visit the COPS website at www.cops.usdoj.gov.

Updated March 12, 2015