The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | October 2020
Department of Justice ' s COPS Office Invests More Than $ 536.7 Million in Grants to Improve Public Safety , Reduce Crime and Advance Community
The Department of Justice ’ s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services ( COPS Office ) awarded more than $ 536.7 million in Fiscal Year 2020 to increase law enforcement hiring and to improve school safety , combat opioids and methamphetamine , advance community policing efforts , provide training to the law enforcement field , and protect the health of our nation ’ s officers and deputies .
“ Building on the successes in reducing violent crime in 2017 , 2018 , and 2019 , these Department of Justice grants for 2020 help to fight violent crime and deadly narcotics , to improve public safety , and to support the officers who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe ,” said Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen . “ Strong partnerships of federal , state , and local law enforcement can produce better results for the public we all serve .”
“ Supporting the men and women of law enforcement as they serve their communities is of paramount importance to the COPS Office ,” said COPS Office Director Phil Keith . “ Now more than ever , it is critical that we continue to provide state , local and tribal agencies the resources they desperately need to continue to advance public safety , which they are so committed to doing . We are all the beneficiaries of that work .”
Funds awarded by the COPS Office in FY2020 include :
COPS Hiring Program ( CHP ): Nearly $ 400 million in CHP grant funding was awarded to 605 law enforcement agencies across the nation , which will allow those agencies to hire 2,761 additional full-time law enforcement professionals . CHP provides funding 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 .
School Violence Prevention Program ( SVPP ): Through SVPP , nearly $ 49 million was awarded to 160 states , units of local government , Indian tribes , and public agencies to be used to improve security at schools and on school grounds . Awards included funding for coordination with local law enforcement ; training for local law enforcement officers to prevent school violence against others and self ; placement and use of metal detectors , locks , lighting , and other deterrent measures ; acquisition and installation of technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency ; and other measures providing significant improvements in security .
Community Policing Development ( CPD ): Through CPD , 24 awards were announced totaling nearly $ 8 million in funding to advance the practice of community policing in law enforcement . CPD funds are used to develop the capacity of law enforcement to implement community policing by providing guidance on promising practices through the development and testing of innovative strategies ; building knowledge about effective practices and outcomes ; and supporting new , creative approaches to preventing crime and promoting safe communities .
Community Policing Development Microgrants Program : Through CPD Microgrants , nearly $ 2.2 million was awarded to 29 local , state , and tribal law enforcement agencies to implement demonstration or pilot projects in their jurisdictions offering creative ideas to advance crime fighting , community engagement , problem solving , or organizational changes to support community policing .
COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Program ( CAMP ): Through CAMP , approximately $ 12 million in grant funding was awarded to 12 state law enforcement agencies that have demonstrated numerous seizures of precursor chemicals , finished methamphetamine , laboratories , and laboratory dump seizures . This funding will support the location or investigation of illicit activities related to the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine , including precursor diversion , laboratories , or methamphetamine traffickers .
Anti-Heroin Task Force ( AHTF ) Program : More than $ 29.7 million in AHTF grant funding was awarded to 14 state law enforcement agencies with multijurisdictional reach and interdisciplinary team ( e . g ., task force ) structures in states with high per capita rates of primary treatment admissions for heroin , fentanyl , carfentanil , and other opioids . This funding will support the location or investigation of illicit activities through statewide collaboration related to the distribution of heroin , fentanyl , or carfentanil or the unlawful distribution of prescription opioids .
Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act ( LEMHWA ): Through LEMHWA , 41 awards were announced totaling $ 4.5 million to improve the delivery of and access to mental health and wellness services for law enforcement through training and technical assistance , demonstration projects , implementation of promising practices related to peer mentoring mental health and wellness , and suicide prevention programs .
Preparing for Active Shooter Situations ( PASS ): Approximately $ 8.8 million in PASS funding was awarded to Texas State University / ALERRT to offer integrated , scenario-based response courses and cross-disciplinary active shooter training to law enforcement and other first responders nationally .
Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation ( CTAS ): CTAS provides resources for federally recognized tribes from the COPS Office , the Office of Justice Programs , and the Office on Violence Against Women . Through CTAS , the COPS Office made 64 Tribal Resources Grant Program awards for tribal officer hiring , equipment , and / or training to 41 tribes , with funding totaling approximately $ 22.5 million .
Tribal Resources Grant Program - Technical Assistance ( TRGP-TA ): Through TRGP-TA , the COPS Office provided $ 800,000 to fund projects related to the topics of ( 1 ) cold cases and missing or murdered indigenous persons and ( 2 ) developing an Alaskan law enforcement recruitment strategy .
Full lists of all announced COPS Office awards are available here . 10