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Obama’s multi-billion dollar economic stimulus bill has promised law enforcement around the country $4 billion in crime prevention and crime fighting grants. $1 billion of that money is intended for hiring more law enforcement officers nationwide. Although many agencies have already applied for the money, it has not yet been disbursed. However, Dave Buchanan, acting director of the federal COPS programs, recently said that the money will be on the way in the next two weeks.
I’m sure there are many LEAs across the country have been crossing their fingers. Just know that you’ll have to keep them crossed for another couple weeks, but the money is on the way.
Source: http://thecrimereport.org/2009/07/27/1-billion-in-police-hiring-grants-expected-soon/
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Police Departments, who were once thought to be immune from economic trends, have recently found themselves with a budget crunch due to the recent economic downturn. Many agencies are faced with cutting down their police force and are concerned about providing a lower level of service to their communities. As an alternative, many agencies have applied for federal grant money under the COPS programs, but with only $1 billion in funding available and more that $8 billion in requested funds, some agencies will find themselves coming up short.
Source: http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-us-police-layoffs,0,630589.story
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Associate Attorney General, Tom Perelli, recently stated that $1.1 billion of the $4 billion in law enforcement grant, provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, has already been disbursed. Perelli also noted that applications for requested grant money, which can be used for hiring new officers, creating crime prevention programs, and purchasing and installing new law enforcement technology, now exceed 8.3 billion.
It isn’t hard to do the math on this. Although your department may have requested funds, those funds may not be available. In fact, it looks like more than half of the requests for federal law enforcement grants may be denied.
Source: http://thecrimereport.org/2009/05/28/11-billion-spent-on-justice-under-stimulus-law/
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According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Milwaukee police chief Edward Flynn recently testified in front of the senate judiciary committee as an advocate for continued federal funding for law enforcement under programs like the COPS grants. Said Flynn, “Crime prevention is the single most cost-effective economic stimulus in our cities, . . . Funding for hiring, technology and training represents hope for urban neighborhoods plagued by crime, fear and unemployment.”
In this economic downturn, the government is trying to be as efficient as it can in stimulating the economy, and programs like COPS are in danger because it is thought that giving free money to law enforcement does little to stimulate the economy. Read the full story by clicking the link above.
Weigh in: Do the current COPS and other law enforcement grants do enough to help local law enforcement and stimulate the economy? Leave a comment.
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The Washington Times recently published a story covering the ways that federal grant money from the stimulus plan is helping law enforcement agencies across the country to continue to provide public services even in a time of economic downturn when budgets are tightening. Click the link above to learn more.
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