WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) has awarded grants totaling $656,071 to four Maine police departments through the COPS Hiring Program (CHP). Funding from the CHP program is designed to help bolster the hiring of local law enforcement agencies.

“These funds will greatly help to improve Maine's ability to address criminal justice and public safety issues and help make communities around the state safer," said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement.

Funding will be awarded as follows:

• City of Auburn $250,000… to fund two police officers.
• Town of Hampden $125,000… to fund one police officer.
• Mexico Police Department $156,071…. to fund one police officer.
• Topsham Police Department $125,000…. to fund one police officer.

The grants will provide 75 percent of the approved salary and benefits for entry level officer positions over a three-year period. The funds may also be used to rehire officers who have been laid off, or are scheduled to be laid off on a future date, as a result of local budget cuts.

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