Justice Department Awards Over $33 Million in Grants to Advance Community Policing Efforts Across the Country

The Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) today announced over $33 million in funding to advance the practice of community policing in law enforcement. Community Policing Development (CPD) program funds are used to support 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.

“Keeping communities safe requires building relationships and increasing trust between law enforcement and those they serve,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The wide range of programs these funds will support – from de-escalation training and anti-bias efforts to technical assistance and accreditation programs – are critical to achieving our public safety goals. It is particularly meaningful to announce these awards during National Community Policing Week, which recognizes the importance of community policing and the positive results we can achieve when law enforcement and community members work together.”

In proclaiming Oct. 3-9 as National Community Policing Week, the Biden Administration emphasized its continuing efforts to both support the facilitation of police-community relationship building and to keep the community at the heart of everything that the  nation’s law enforcement agencies do on a daily basis.

Source: The U.S. Department of Justice