DOJ awards $6M to advance nationwide community policing efforts

By Police1 Staff

WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice has awarded $6 million to law enforcement agencies and organizations across the country to advance community policing efforts, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) announced Monday.

According to the statement, the funds will bolster community policing efforts by “providing guidance on promising practices through the development and testing of innovative strategies; building knowledge about effective practices and outcomes; and supporting new, creative approaches to preventing crime and promoting safe communities.”

Recipients of the award include the National Association of School Resource Officers, which received $200,000 to train approximately 230 officers serving in schools across the country; the Police Executive Research Forum, which received nearly $300,000 to help police agencies prevent and respond to critical incidents; the Virginia Community Policing Institute, which received $500,000 to support local community policing efforts, and more .

Over the last 24 years, the COPS Office has awarded more than $14 billion in community policing efforts, with more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies receiving funding for hiring, redeployment, training and education.