Maryland Gov. Hogan announces $122.5M to re-fund police departments through State Aid for Police Protection program

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced this week that $122.5 million had been awarded through the State Aid for Police Protection (SAPP) program to expand resources for police departments statewide.

“Prioritized by our budget, this record 60% increase in funding will help police officers and the communities they serve in every jurisdiction in Maryland,” Hogan said. “We will continue to do everything in our power to support law enforcement and to provide our men and women in uniform with the tools they need to keep Marylanders safe.”

SAPP funding can be utilized for officer salaries, equipment, technology upgrades, investigative tools, operating expenses, vehicle maintenance, and other resources as needed. Funds are distributed based on a formula built from a mix of jurisdictional population, numbers of police officers in an agency, and the total of a jurisdiction’s taxable income. With the passage of legislation earlier this year, Uniform Crime Report violent crime statistics will also be used to distribute increased funding for fiscal year 2023.

“With all of our law enforcement programs, it’s very clear: when police officers have the funding they need to fight crime, they get the job done,” Kunle Adeyemo, Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services, said. “We will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with police and work together to build a safer, healthier, and more prosperous Maryland.”

Through the Re-Fund The Police Initiative, Hogan’s administration has provided $137 million to significantly increase SAPP awards over the next three years.