The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | May 2022
Justice Department Releases over $ 320 Million in Solicitations for Hiring Law Enforcement Officers , Improving School Safety , and Combating Distribution of Illicit Drugs
The Justice Department announced today that the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services ( COPS Office ) and the Office of Justice Programs ( OJP ) have released over $ 320 million in grant solicitations for programs that advance community policing , keep school students safe , and combat the production and distribution of illegal drugs .
“ The Justice Department is committed to providing our state , local , Tribal , and territorial law enforcement partners with the resources they need to keep our communities safe ,” said Attorney General Merrick B . Garland . “ With these funds , the Department is supporting law enforcement agencies , as well as the residents they serve , by increasing their capacity to disrupt illegal drug trafficking , hire officers committed to using best practices to serve their communities , and keep children safe in school .”
“ These grants represent our commitment to provide law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve with critical resources to make our communities safer for everyone that lives , works , and plays in them ,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta .
The announced solicitations include $ 156.5 million available for the COPS Hiring Program ( CHP ), a competitive award program intended to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing by providing direct funding for the hiring of career law enforcement officers . Anticipated outcomes of the CHP program awards include increased engagement in community partnerships , implementation of projects that focus on prioritized crime issues impacting communities , implementation of changes to personnel and agency management in support of community policing , and increased capacity of agencies to implement comprehensive community policing plans that build trust and reduce crime . All local , state , Tribal , and territorial law enforcement agencies that have primary law enforcement authority are eligible to apply .
Funding also includes $ 53 million for the School Violence Prevention Program ( SVPP ). This program provides funding to improve security at schools and on school grounds in the grantees ’ jurisdictions through evidence-based school safety programs . Awards will be provided directly to eligible state , local , Tribal , and territorial partners . Recipients of SVPP funding must use funding for the benefit of K-12 , primary , and secondary schools and students .
The Department ’ s Office of Justice Programs — through its Bureau of Justice Assistance and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention — also released almost $ 64.7 million in solicitations to support violence prevention and response efforts in schools through the STOP School Violence Act . More information about OJP ’ s grants can be found at https :// www . ojp . gov / funding .
There is also $ 15 million available for the COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Program ( CAMP ) and $ 35 million for the COPS Anti-Heroin Task Force ( AHTF ) Program . The 2022 COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Program is a competitive grant program that advances public safety by providing funds directly to state law enforcement agencies to investigate illicit activities related to the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine . AHTF is a competitive grant program that provides funding to state law enforcement agencies in states with high per capita levels of primary treatment admissions for heroin , fentanyl , carfentanil , and other opioids . These funds will be used for drug enforcement including investigations and activities related to the distribution of heroin and other opioids or the unlawful diversion and distribution of prescription opioids .
Additional information on these programs , as well as information on how to apply , can be found at https :// cops . usdoj . gov / grants .
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