WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined 42 colleagues in a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Commerce, Justice, & Science Subcommittee requesting a minimum of $400 million in federal funding for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program. This significant increase in funding – backed by national police groups and the U.S. Conference of Mayors – will help local law enforcement bolster their community policing efforts.

“When officers establish a presence on their patrols using community policing principles, they can develop positive relationships with the communities they serve,” the senators wrote. “In turn, these relationships increase law enforcement’s ability to solve local crimes and resolve public safety problems. This proactive approach to policing prevents crime from occurring, saving taxpayers the high societal costs associated with crime, incarceration, and services for victims.”

“Ongoing crime and violence in our cities continue to demonstrate the vital need for increased police protection in our communities,” the letter continued. “Therefore, as you determine the funding levels for this program, we ask that you support funding for the COPS Hiring Program at the highest possible level.”

The COPS program was designed to advance public safety by addressing the full-time officer needs of state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies. COPS provides federal funds directly to local law enforcement agencies to hire new and/or rehire career law officers, and to increase crime prevention efforts.

As cities and towns across the country grow in population, the senators emphasized the need for increased funding in order to meet the high demand by state and local law enforcement agencies. Since its creation, the COPS program has helped to put an additional 129,000 police officers on the streets of 13,000 communities across the nation.

The full text of the letter can be downloaded HERE or read below:

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Dear Chairman Moran and Ranking Member Shaheen:

As you consider funding levels for Fiscal Year 2020, we urge you to fund the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program at a minimum of $400 million.

The COPS Hiring program represents a fiscally responsible solution to ensure that our communities remain safe; the Brookings Institution found it to be “one of the most cost-effective options available for fighting crime.” When officers establish a presence on their patrols using community policing principles, they can develop positive relationships with the communities they serve.  In turn, these relationships increase law enforcement’s ability to solve local crimes and resolve public safety problems.  This proactive approach to policing prevents crime from occurring, saving taxpayers the high societal costs associated with crime, incarceration, and services for victims.

Since its creation, the COPS Office has assisted over 13,000 of the nation’s 16,000 jurisdictions with over $14 billion in funding to hire approximately 129,000 additional officers. As you know, the opening of the COPS Hiring Program grant solicitation is on hold due to the issuance of a nationwide injunction by a U.S. District Court on April 12, 2018. Nonetheless, this program plays an essential role in our federal government’s support for local law enforcement and should therefore receive the highest possible level of funding. The COPS Office received more than 1,100 CHP applications during the FY 2017 open solicitation period from law enforcement agencies in every state and US territory. After careful review of all applications, the COPS Office made FY 2017 CHP awards to 179 state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies totaling $98,495,397 to support the hiring of 802 full time law enforcement officers. Clearly, the program is in high demand and unable to meet that demand even at current levels.

We are supported in this request by law enforcement organizations including the Fraternal Order of Police, National Association of Police Organizations, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the Major Cities Chiefs Association.  We appreciate the hard work and leadership that you have shown on these issues. Ongoing crime and violence in our cities continue to demonstrate the vital need for increased police protection in our communities.  Therefore, as you determine the funding levels for this program, we ask that you support funding for the COPS Hiring Program at the highest possible level.