To address violent crime by
increasing the number of police with advanced education assigned to community
patrol in areas of great need, and to provide educational assistance to
students who possess a sincere interest in public service through law
enforcement.
TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
(a) Educational assistance: Police Corps participants must complete education,
training and service requirements. All participants must successfully complete
the 16-24 week Police Corps training program and serve for 4 years on
community patrol with a State or local police force in a participating State.
Undergraduate participants first must attend college on a full-time basis and
earn a baccalaureate degree. Participants who pursue graduate study must
complete their service and training obligations in advance. Educational
assistance is based on participants' actual educational expenses; no
participant may receive more than $30,000 under the program. (b) Cash
assistance to police forces: State and local police and sheriffs' departments
that employ Police Corps participants receive $10,000 for each of a
participant's first 4 years of service. No department may receive a cash
payment for any year in which its average size has declined by more than 2
percent since January 1, 1993, or in which it has laid off officers. No more
than 10 percent of a State's Police Corps participants may be assigned to a
statewide police force. (c) Training cost reimbursements are paid only to
State training facilities approved to offer the Police Corps training program
or its substantial equivalent. (d) Educational assistance to dependents of
officers killed in the line of duty is based on actual expenses for college
education and the 4-year service obligation is waived; no dependent may
receive more than $30,000 under the program.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant Eligibility:
(a) States: All States are eligible to submit a
State plan. (b) State and local police forces: Law enforcement agencies within
participating States are eligible to hire Police Corps participants. No
participant may be assigned to serve with a local force whose size has declined
by more than 5 percent since June 21, 1989, or which has members who have been
laid off but not rehired. (c) Participants: Participants must be citizens of the
United States or aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence, possess the
necessary mental and physical capabilities and moral characteristics to be an
effective police officer, be of good character, meet the standards of the police
force with which they will serve, and demonstrate sincere motivation and
dedication to law enforcement and public service. Applicants are selected on a
competitive basis. (d) Assistance to dependents of officers killed in the line
of duty: Eligible dependents must be a natural or adopted child or stepchild of
a law enforcement officer who served in a State that participates in the Police
Corps and who was slain after the State had an approved Police Corps State plan.
Beneficiary Eligibility:
States, State and local police forces, and
individuals as outlined above.
Credentials/Documentation:
Information on documentation required in
State plans can be obtained from the Office of the Police Corps (Headquarters).
Interested individuals and law enforcement agencies should contact the State
lead agency for specific requirements. A list of State lead agencies is
available from the Office of the Police Corps (Headquarters).
None. This program is excluded from
coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure:
(a) States that wish to participate in the
Police Corps should designate a State lead agency to submit a State plan.
Interested States should contact the Office of the Police Corps (Headquarters)
for specific requirements for State plans. (b) Law enforcement agencies should
apply to the appropriate State lead agency. (c) Interested individuals should
apply to the State lead agency for the State in which they wish to serve.
Individual participants are selected on a competitive basis by participating
States and assigned to specific police or sheriffs' departments. A successful
applicant becomes a "participant" by completing a formal written
agreement with the Director of the Office of the Police Corps. (d) Dependents of
officers killed in the line of duty should contact the appropriate State lead
agency for an application.
Award Procedure:
The Office of the Police Corps solicits State plans
on an annual basis, subject to annual appropriations. Participants, eligible
dependents and law enforcement agencies submit annual requests for payment to
the State lead agency, which reviews and approves requests. Payments for
estimated educational expenses are made to the appropriate college or
university. Payments for actual educational expenses are made to participants.
Training budgets are submitted in advance of any training; training expenses are
reimbursed at or shortly after the time a training session is completed.
Deadlines:
Contact the Office of the Police Corps for deadlines to
submit State plans. Contact the appropriate State lead agency for information on
pertinent deadlines for individual applicants and interested law enforcement
agencies.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:
State plans are normally reviewed
within 60-90 days from the date of submission.
Appeals:
None.
Renewals:
Approvals of State plans extend to a single fiscal year.
Participating States interested in being allocated additional slots for Police
Corps participants must submit State plans for subsequent fiscal years at the
appropriate times.
ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula and Matching Requirements:
This program has no matching
requirements.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:
See award procedure outlined
above. Individual participants may receive assistance for undergraduate study or
graduate study, but not both.
POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
State lead agencies are required to provide periodic updates
on recruiting and training programs and on the gender, race, and progress of
participants through their studies, training and service with State or local
police forces.
Audits:
Audit procedures have not yet been established for this
program.
Records:
Financial records should be retained for a period of three
years following the conclusion of Federal assistance.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION:
Account Identification:
15-0401-0-1-754.
Obligations:
(Grants ) FY 01 $30,408,502; FY 02 est $40,334,843; and
FY 03 est $30,000,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance:
(a) Educational assistance:
expected range per participant is $5,000 to $30,000. (b) Cash assistance to
State and local police forces: average payment per participant is $40,000 over 4
years. (c) Training cost reimbursements to State facilities: estimated average
per participant as of January 2002 is $25,000.
As of December 2001, 30 States have been approved to implement the Police
Corps. Under the State plans approved to date, 1,942 positions are authorized
for recruitment and will receive advanced education and training. Over 1,100
participants and 60 dependent children have received educational assistance to
date. Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oklahoma,
Oregon, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin have trained Police Corps
participants and they are currently serving in local or state Police or
Sheriff agencies. Seven hundred participants have received Police Corps
training and over 300 will start training in fiscal year 2002. During 2002,
additional States are expected to apply to participate in the Police Corps
program.
REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
Regulations for the Police Corps appear at 28 CFR Part 92. The Office of the
Police Corps has issued Guidelines for (1) Outreach, Selection and Assignment,
and for (2) Training Programs. A program overview is available through the
Office of the Police Corps (Headquarters).
INFORMATION CONTACTS:
Regional or Local Office:
None.
Headquarters Office:
Office of the Police Corps and Law Enforcement
Education, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, 810 Seventh
St, NW., Washington, DC 20531. Telephone: U.S. Department of Justice Response
Center at 1-800-421-6770 or the Office of the Police Corps at (202) 353-8953 or
1-888-94CORPS.
Web Site Address:
http://www.usdoj.gov/opclee/.
EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
As of March 2002, participating States include Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas,
Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada,
North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia,
Washington, and Wisconsin.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
(a) Participating States are selected on the basis of State plans and
available appropriations. Preference is given to State plans that demonstrate
that participants will be assigned to areas with great need for additional law
enforcement personnel. (b) Individual participants are selected on a competitive
basis within participating States. Selection criteria include physical and
mental capabilities, emotional characteristics, character, motivation and
dedication to public service and law enforcement, scholastic record, work
experience outside of law enforcement, and community involvement.
