Philadelphia, July 28, 2008 – Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder today announced that Philadelphia will receive $10.9 million dollars over three years to put 50 more police officers on the streets – the maximum number of officers the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Recovery Program will fund. Philadelphia’s grant is part of $1 billion in funding to hire or rehire law enforcement officers all across the country under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. These funds will provide 100 percent of the approved salary and benefits for these officers for three years. All police departments receiving the grants will then be required to retain the grant-funded positions for a fourth year.
“These federal dollars come at a critical time,” said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “Since I took office homicide is down 30% but we cannot afford to let up in these bad economic times. Each additional cop on the street helps make Philadelphia safer.”
“Our sworn officers are the front line of defense against crime and disorder in our nation’s communities,” stated Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey. “These Recovery funds are essential in helping local law enforcement agencies fulfill their mission of making the places in which we all live and work as safe as possible.”
The COPS Program provides much needed financial support to local governments and will help the nation’s law enforcement agencies add and retain the manpower needed to fight crime more effectively through community policing. The Department of Justice received over 7,200 applications for more than 39,000 officer positions, representing a total of $8.3 billion in requested funding.
In total 19 cities, towns, and police departments in the state of Pennsylvania are receiving $20.1 million to fund 93 law enforcement positions.
“A big part of the Recovery Act is about building communities – making them as strong as they can be, allowing every American family to live a better life than the one they are leading now,” said Vice President Joe Biden. “And we can’t achieve the goal of stronger communities without supporting those who keep our streets safe.”
“These Recovery Act funds will pump much needed resources into communities through a program with a proven track record,” said Attorney General Holder. “The tremendous demand for these grants is indicative of both the tough times our states, cities and tribes are facing, and the unyielding commitment by law enforcement to making our communities safer.”
For more information about the COPS grants, or to learn which law enforcement agencies received funding, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
