U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), today announced that the COPS Office has awarded $1.5 million to the City of Waterbury to fund 12 law enforcement positions. The award is part of more than $107 million in funds awarded this year through the COPS Hiring Program (CHP) to create and protect numerous law enforcement positions across the country.
“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.
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 of the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing for suggested actions to incorporate into their proposed community policing strategy.
“Enhancing community policing and maintaining our schools as a safe and enriching learning environment are critically important, and I am pleased to join the COPS Office in announcing this grant," said U.S. Attorney Daly. “This funding will help provide Waterbury with the resources needed to accomplish this vital mission."
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.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
