U.S. Attorney’s Office Recognizes National Community Policing Week, Oct. 3-7, 2016
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - U.S. Attorney Jill Westmoreland Rose announced today that over $2.8 million in grant funding has been awarded in the Western District through the Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing (COPS office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP), aimed at creating and/or rehiring 23 career law enforcement positions.
“The federal grants awarded build upon the Justice Department’s work to provide our local law enforcement partners with the resources they need to protect and serve their communities. The funds will be used to address specific law enforcement officers’ needs and to advance public safety through community policing and crime prevention efforts," said U.S. Attorney Rose.
The three agencies awarded the grants in the Western District are the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department ($1,875,000), the Mooresville Police Department ($500,000) and the Monroe Department of Public Safety ($500,000).
CHP provides funding directly to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies for the hiring and rehiring of entry-level career law enforcement officers in an effort to create and preserve jobs and increase community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. 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 The complete list of award recipients can be found here: http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/default.asp?Item=2888.
National Community Policing Week
U.S. Attorney Rose also announced today that the Department of Justice has designated the week of October 3-7, 2016, as the inaugural National Community Policing Week. One of the key priorities of the Justice Department is to support and promote strong relationships between law enforcement and our communities. Community policing is a public safety philosophy based on partnership and cooperation between law enforcement and the individuals, families, and communities we serve and protect every day. At the center of community policing is the idea that all members of the community have a stake in the safety of our neighborhoods where we live and work and need to work together in solving the crime challenges our communities face.
“Community policing is about law enforcement partnering with communities to promote public safety and to proactively address the factors that give rise to crime and disorder. When the relationship between law enforcement and civilians is based on mutual trust and respect, our communities are safer, our neighborhoods are stronger and our citizens are more united. Trust, respect and mutual understanding is key to solving community problems. My Office is committed to promoting trust and building strong bonds between law enforcement and the communities we serve," said U.S. Attorney Rose.
To promote Community Policing Week, the three U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western, Middle and Eastern Districts of North Carolina will hold a Community Policing Round Table for Sheriffs, Police Chiefs, and District Attorneys, on Friday, October 7, in Greensboro, N.C. U.S. Attorney Rose will participate on a panel to discuss best practices in community policing and to highlight collaborative programs and policing practices designed to advance public safety, strengthen police-community relations and foster mutual trust between local police officers and neighborhood residents.
For more information regarding National Community Policing Week please visit https://www.justice.gov/ag/community-policing-tour.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
