Department Of Justice Awards Hiring Grants To Support Southern District Of California Law Enforcement

SAN DIEGO – The Department of Justice awarded grants totaling $925,235 to two cities in the Southern District of California, aimed at creating six new law enforcement positions, announced United States Attorney Laura E. Duffy.

The Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program offers grants to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to hire or rehire community policing officers. The program provides salaries 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 community policing plans.

This year’s COPS grantees within the Southern District are the City of Brawley, located in Imperial County, will receive $425,235 and the City of Chula Vista, located in San Diego County, will receive $500,000.

U.S. Attorney Duffy noted that these grants will provide additional resources to address public safety in this District. We are pleased that the Department is recognizing and supporting the efforts of local law enforcement in Chula Vista and Brawley.

The COPS Office is 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.

Additional information about the 2013 COPS Hiring Program can be found on the COPS website at www.cops.usdoj.gov.