U.S. Department of Justice Awards Law Enforcement Hiring Grants to Help Build Trust, Reduce Violence and Protect Schools

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) funding awards to five police departments in the Western District of Washington aimed at creating, and in some cases protecting, ten law enforcement positions.  Over $107 million will be awarded nationally, through the COPS Hiring Program (CHP), including $1.25 million for Western Washington.

The list of this year’s grantees includes: the Arlington Police Department – two officers; Issaquah – two officers; Marysville – three officers; the Port Gamble S’Klallam Indian Tribe – one officer; the Tukwila Police Department – two officers.

“Ensuring that local law enforcement officers have the resources they need to serve their communities fairly, faithfully and effectively is among the Justice Department’s highest priorities,” said Attorney General Lynch.  “These awards will not only keep more officers on the beat – they will address specific issue areas like violent crime, school safety, homeland security and community trust.  They will help our law enforcement agencies become more efficient and more responsive to the needs of their jurisdictions.  And they will promote the ongoing efforts of the Department of Justice as we work to build the safe, secure and supportive communities that every American deserves.”

“The COPS Office is pleased to assist local law enforcement agencies throughout the country in addressing their most critical public safety issues,” said Ronald L. Davis, Director of the COPS Office. “These grants are not simply about putting more officers on the street, they are about expanding the capacity of law enforcement agencies to engage in community policing.”

CHP provides 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.

“Building trust between communities and police is a key component of effective policing,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “I congratulate these cities and police departments that successfully competed for this grant with proposals aimed and building trust with the communities they serve and keeping our students safe in school.”

Priority consideration was given this year to agencies that selected any of the Building Trust focus areas or School Based Policing through School Resource Officers.  All applicants were encouraged to refer to the report of the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing for suggested actions to incorporate into their proposed community policing strategy.

The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1995, COPS has invested 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 127,000 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 2015 COPS Hiring Program, visit the COPS website at www.cops.usdoj.gov.

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