Chula Vista Police Department Awarded $97,500 for Human Trafficking Project
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY - July 7, 2020
SAN DIEGO - The Department of Justice today announced $2.2 million in grant funding to law enforcement agencies and stakeholders through the Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) Community Policing Development (CPD) Microgrants Program. COPS Office Director Phil Keith announced 29 awards with award amounts ranging from $15,090 to $100,000.
In the Southern District of California, the Chula Vista Police Department was chosen to receive a $97,500 grant to support its human trafficking program. The agency is the only local law enforcement department in California to receive a CPD Microgrant award.
“Additional funds to respond to the threat of human trafficking are particularly important now," said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “The coronavirus pandemic has young people spending countless hours on their phones, and unfortunately this renders them prey for human traffickers who exploit social media."
“The CPD Microgrants Program is a critical resource to advance innovative community policing projects across the country," said Director Keith. “These strategic investments from the COPS Office pay huge dividends to state and local law enforcement agencies and the communities that they serve."
CPD Microgrants Program funds are used to develop the capacity of local, state, and tribal law enforcement agencies to implement community policing strategies. Applicants were invited to propose demonstration or pilot projects to be implemented in their agency that offer creative ideas to advance crime fighting, community engagement, problem solving, or organizational changes to support community policing in one of the following areas:
* Human Trafficking
* Meeting Rural Law Enforcement Challenges
* Officer Safety and Wellness
* Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention
* School Safety
* Staffing and Allocation Studies
* Victim-Centered Approaches
* Violent Crime
* Youth Engagement
Funding through this program is available for the first time since 2018, following the successful removal of a nationwide injunction. These awards are being announced at a critical time for our country, when community policing strategies are very much needed to improve police and community relations.
The complete list of awards can be found here. To learn more about CPD Microgrants, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/cpdmicrogrants. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
