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COPS Hiring Program
Stored: COPS Hiring Program
| Type | Program |
|---|---|
| Sponsor Organization | Office of Community Oriented Policing Services |
| Top Organization | Department of Justice |
| Creation Legislation | Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 |
| Website | Website |
| Purpose | The COPS Hiring Program funds the hiring and rehiring of law enforcement officers to advance community policing. It aims to reduce crime, enhance public safety, and build community trust through increased police presence. |
| Program Start | 1995 |
| Initial Funding | $148 million |
| Duration | Ongoing |
| Historic | No |
COPS Hiring Program (CHP) is a Department of Justice initiative administered by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) that provides competitive funding to state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies across all 50 states and jurisdictions, supporting over 13,000 agencies and engaging more than 2,800 stakeholders as of 2025 to hire and rehire career officers. Established in 1995 under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, CHP has disbursed over $14 billion by 2025 (Web ID 0), with $157 million awarded in FY 2024 to hire nearly 1,200 officers (Web ID 2), enhancing resilience post-Hurricane Helene through increased policing capacity in affected regions like North Carolina (Post ID 0).
Goals
- Increase law enforcement capacity to implement community policing strategies.[1]
- Reduce crime and enhance public safety through officer hiring and retention.
- Strengthen community trust and partnerships via targeted policing efforts.
Organization
The COPS Hiring Program was sponsored by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services within the Department of Justice, headquartered at 145 N Street NE, Washington, D.C. Funding comes from Congressional appropriations, supporting over 13,000 law enforcement agencies and 2,800 stakeholders—state, local, tribal, and territorial entities—across all U.S. jurisdictions, managed by the COPS Office under Director Hugh T. Clements, Jr., with oversight from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland (or successor as of March 04, 2025).
The leader at the Department level was the Attorney General, currently Merrick B. Garland (as of March 04, 2025), guiding program policy.
History
The COPS Hiring Program was established in 1995 under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, signed by President Bill Clinton on September 13, 1994, launching the COPS Office (Web ID 0). Starting with $148 million in FY 1995 (Web ID 10), it peaked during the late 1990s, paused funding in 2018 due to a nationwide injunction lifted in 2020 (Web ID 13), and by 2025, has funded over 138,000 officers (Web ID 2), with FY 2024 awards supporting resilience post-Hurricane Helene through officer hires in storm-affected areas (Post ID 0).
Funding
Initial funding in 1995 was $148 million from Congressional appropriations. Funding continues, with FY 2025 proposed within DOJ’s $37.8 billion discretionary budget (Web ID 14), and over $14 billion total by 2025 (Web ID 0), supporting over 1,200 officer hires annually (e.g., FY 2024, Web ID 2), with no end date as appropriations sustain efforts like 2025’s $5 million for Helene recovery hires (Post ID 5 estimate).
Implementation
The program was implemented through competitive solicitations, funding officer salaries and benefits for three years across all U.S. jurisdictions. It operates continuously with no end date, supporting over 13,000 agencies, with 2025 efforts post-Hurricane Helene enhancing resilience by hiring officers for community policing in recovery zones, despite a staffing crisis noted on X (Post ID 0).
Related
External links
- https://cops.usdoj.gov/chp
- https://www.justice.gov/cops - COPS Office Overview
- https://www.doi.gov/ - Department of the Interior Overview
- wikipedia:Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
Social Media
References
- ↑ "COPS Hiring Program Overview," COPS Office, accessed March 04, 2025.