For Immediate Release
March 17, 2009

Contact:
Aketa Marie Simmons
202-226-6709


US Department of Justice Releases Policing Grants Authorized in the Recovery Act


WASHINGTON, DC – The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included $1 billion for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) hiring grant program. Today the solicitation for that program – the COPS Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP) – is open on-line at www.cops.usdoj.gov. In addition to the application, the COPS website also has a number of supporting documents and information about CHRP, including a fact sheet, FAQs, a podcast, and an application guide.
 

"The COPS grant program is extremely important to maintain an adequate police presence on our streets and develop innovative ways to fight crime. This program comes at a time when the need for safe and secure communities is greater than ever," said Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH), who voted for the Recovery Act.
 

Highlights from the CHRP include:
 

• CHRP grant solicitation opens March 16, 2009 and closes April 14, 2009.
• CHRP is a competitive grant program that provides funding directly to law enforcement agencies having primary law enforcement authority to create and preserve jobs and to increase their community policing capacity and crime-prevention efforts.
• Up to $1 billion in grant funding will be available for the hiring and rehiring of additional career law enforcement officers.
• There is no local match requirement for CHRP, but grant funding will be based on current entry-level salary and benefits packages and therefore any additional costs for higher salaries or benefits for particular individuals hired will be the responsibility of the grantee agency.
• CHRP grants will provide 100 percent funding for approved entry-level salaries and benefits for 3 years (36 months) for newly-hired, full-time sworn officer positions (including filling existing unfunded vacancies) or for rehired officers who have been laid off, or are scheduled to be laid off on a future date, as a result of local budget cuts.

*In addition, there is no cap on the number of positions an agency may request, but awards will be limited to available funding. Please be mindful of the initial 3-year grant period and your agency's ability to fill the officer positions awarded, while following your agency's established hiring policies and procedures.
• At the conclusion of federal funding, grantees must retain all sworn officer positions awarded under the CHRP grant. The retained CHRP-funded position(s) should be added to the grantees law enforcement budget with state and/or local funds, over and above the number of locally-funded positions that would have existed in the absence of the grant.
 

Again, please go to www.cops.usdoj.gov for more information about the COPS Office and the COPS Hiring Recovery Program. If you have any additional questions, please call 202-514-9079.