The Department of Justice (DOJ) has earmarked $139 million in grant funds for 180 law enforcement agencies nationwide, which enables the hiring of 973 additional full-time personnel.
The initiative is offered through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP). CHP provides funds directly to law enforcement agencies to hire new or rehire additional career law enforcement officers and deputies to bolster community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts.
“As law enforcement agencies across the nation continue to experience recruitment and retention challenges, we are proud to provide these resources to help alleviate those challenges confronting the profession,” COPS Office Acting Director Robert Chapman.
COPS, created 29 years ago, has invested over $14 billion to advance community policing. The allocations have included grants awarded to over 13,000 state, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 136,000 officers.
COPS received 711 applications requesting over 2,800 law enforcement positions in FY 2022, according to the DOJ. The COPS Office continues to listen to the field and provide the resources needed to reduce crime and law enforcement and increase community trust.