FEDERAL AGENCY:

AUTHORIZATION:

Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, 42 U.S.C. 3796, as amended; Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, Title I, Part Q, Public Law 103-322.

Grants are to be made to increase police presence and improve cooperative efforts between law enforcement agencies and members of the community; to expand community policing efforts through the use of technology and other innovative strategies; to increase security and reduce violence in our nation's schools; to address crime and disorder problems; and to otherwise enhance public safety.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition

Applicant Eligibility: States, units of local government, Indian tribal governments, other public and private entities, and multi-jurisdictional or regional consortia thereof.

Beneficiary Eligibility: States, units of local government, Indian tribal governments, other public and private entities, and multi-jurisdictional or regional consortia thereof.

Credentials/Documentation: None.

Pre-application Coordination: This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

Application Procedure: Applicant submits application and budget forms prescribed by the grantor agency and approved by OMB, as well as other required documentation (including required assurances, certifications, retention information, lobbying, etc.) outlined in the Application Kit. Application Kits are available from the grantor agency. At the time of submission, an original and two copies of the application are required with original signatures of both the Law Enforcement and Government Executive.

Award Procedure: Upon approval by the Director, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, award notification letters will be sent to grantees. The grant award must be signed by a duly authorized representative and returned to the designated office within 90 days of the award mail date.

Deadlines: Application deadlines vary among grant programs and are noted on grant application materials. Contact the grantor agency for specific application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: Normally between 4-6 months after receipt of application. Award announcements vary depending on the grant program.

Appeals: See 28 C.F.R. Part 18.

Renewals: Hiring awards are made for 3 years. Technology awards and awards for other purposes, are generally for one year. Renewals and/or extensions may be available under some grant programs and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. If available, extensions should be requested not sooner than 90 days prior to the expiration of the original project period.

Formula and Matching Requirements: Hiring grants under the COPS Universal Hiring Program are made for an amount up to 75 percent of salary and benefits per officer, up to a maximum of $75,000 per officer. In the case of the COPS in Schools Grant Program, awards are made for an amount up to a maximum of $125,000 per officer, with no local percentage match required. Other awards generally are made for 75 percent of allowable project costs. Innovative grant programs may cover 100 percent of the total project cost, up to a maximum amount as specified in the application, with no local match required. Unless the requirement of a nonfederal share is waived, nonfederal funds must pay the difference. The nonfederal share of hiring grants must increase year-to-year over the grant period.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance: Hiring grants are awarded for a 3-year period. The grant period for other grants is generally one year. Assistance is released on a reimbursement or limited advance basis.

Reports: Annual programmatic reports and quarterly financial status will be required as stipulated in the effective edition of the relevant Grant Owner's Manual distributed by the grantor agency. Other reporting requirements, such as a final progress report may also be imposed depending on the grant program.

Audits: In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133, as amended, all grantees that expend Federal financial assistance of $300,000 or more during the fiscal year shall have an audit made for the year. Grantees receiving less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements, but records must be retained and available for review by appropriate officials of the Federal grantor agency.

Records: Financial records, supporting documents, and all other records pertinent to a grant shall be retained for a period of three years following the conclusion of Federal assistance.

Account Identification: 15-0404-0-1-754.

Obligations: (Grants) FY 01 $608,349,000; FY 02 est $607,641,000; and FY 03 est $137,625,000.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance: As of fiscal year 2001, Awards ranged from $1,275 to $24,107,220. The average award was approximately $283,656.

In fiscal year 2001, COPS received 4,388 applications. A total of 1,851 grants were awarded, and some applications were carried over for funding consideration in the next fiscal year. FY 01 awards funded the hiring or redeployment of additional career law enforcement and school resource officers, practicing community policing, throughout the nation. Other funded programs in FY 01 included Methamphetamine, Technology, and Safe Schools Initiatives, the Police Integrity program, and the Tribal Resource Grant Program.

Application Kits and current edition of M7100.1, which are available from Headquarters.

Regional or Local Office: None.

Headquarters Office: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 1100 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20530. Telephone: U.S. Department of Justice Response Center: 1-800-421-6770, or (202) 307-1480. Direct applications to: COPS Office, 1100 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20530. Send to the attention of the control desk for the specific program name.

Web Site Address:  http://usdoj.gov/cops.

Since 1995, funded projects include the hiring of additional officers to engage in community policing under the COPS Phase I, COPS FAST, COPS AHEAD, Universal Hiring and the Cops in Schools programs. Hiring grants per agency supported the addition of 1 to 200 positions in 2001 and 1 to 3,500 new officers since 1995. Under the COPS MORE programs (MORE 95, 96, 98, 2000, 2001), 5,576 grants were made for the acquisition of technology and equipment, the hiring of civilian support resources, and, in the case of MORE '95 only, for the payment of overtime to redeploy in a cost-effective manner, sworn officers to community policing activities. In FY 01, the Tribal Resource Grant Program provided 157 grants to Federally recognized Indian tribes that offered broad based funding to enhance personnel and other resources. Additionally, 99 Technology earmark grants were awarded and 19 sites were funded under the Methamphetamine Initiative. Prior COPS funded projects include 117 agencies under the Advancing Community Policing grant program, 15 jurisdictions under an anti-gang initiative, 10 innovative strategies to combat firearms violence, 443 grants for problem solving and partnership development 275 grants for school based partnerships, 366 jurisdictions funded to address domestic violence through community policing strategies, 19 sites funded for domestic violence testing, research and evaluation, 25 sites funded for domestic violence training, and an additional 16 sites for a specially sanctioned project in Washington State. Eighteen sites were funded under the Distressed Neighborhoods Pilot Project and 774 jurisdictions received assistance under the Small Community Grant Program.

General criteria for selecting proposals are set forth in the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, Public Law 103-322. Additional criteria may be developed by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and will be published in the Federal Register and COPS application materials.