Letter to Jeanne Shaheen, Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriation Committee Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and ScienceBennet Requests Increased Funding to Hire Law Enforcement and Support Community Policing

Letter

Dear Chairwoman Shaheen and Ranking Member Moran:

As you consider funding levels for Fiscal Year 2023, we urge you to fund the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program at a minimum of $537 million.

The COPS Hiring Program represents a fiscally responsible solution to ensure that our communities remain safe. 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 more than $14 billion in funding to hire approximately 135,000 additional officers. The 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.

As you know, the COPS Hiring Program grant solicitation was on hold due to the issuance of a nationwide injunction by a U.S. District Court on April 12, 2018. In February 2020, the Department of Justice released over $500 million in grant solicitations under the COPS Hiring Program and several other grant programs that advance community policing and promote the health and safety of our nation's law enforcement officers. The COPS Office received 1,091 applications during the open solicitation period from law enforcement agencies in nearly every state and U.S. territory. After careful review of all applications, the COPS Office made FY 2020 COPS Hiring Program awards to 605 state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies totaling $399,469,632 to support the hiring of 2,761 full-time law enforcement officers. Clearly, the program is in high demand and unable to meet that demand 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, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, 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.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.