Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard is calling on the U.S. Senate and the Bush Administration to reauthorize the COPS hiring grants program that enabled local law enforcement agencies serving the 34th District to hire more than 4,500 additional officers.  Nationally, the program was responsible for the hiring of 117,000 additional police officers in every state of the union from 1995 to 2005.

With the congresswoman’s support, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 381 to 34 to reauthorize the program on May 15.  “I urge the U.S. Senate and the Administration to reauthorize this critical crime-fighting legislation,” said Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, who noted that the nonpartisan General Accounting Office – the investigative arm of Congress – concluded in a study last year that the COPS grants resulted in the reduction of up to 225,000 crimes in our country between 1998 and 2000, one third of which were violent crimes. 

“Fighting crime and protecting our communities are top priorities for the new Democratic majority in Congress,” Congresswoman Roybal-Allard said.  “Unfortunately, over the last few years, despite evidence of the program’s effectiveness, the Administration and the then Republican-led Congress sharply reduced and eventually eliminated funding for the COPS hiring grants.”

“The COPS Reauthorization Act would allow law enforcement agencies in California to hire more than 6,700 police officers over the course of the next six years.  In the law enforcement agencies that serve my district and patrol our neighborhoods, as many as 1,950 additional police officers and sheriff’s deputies would likely be hired,” Congresswoman Roybal-Allard said.

The COPS program was created in 1994 as an incentive to local law enforcement agencies to hire more officers.  The program provides 75 percent of an officer’s salary for three years.  According to projections based on the proportion of officers and funding distributed to districts throughout the life of the COPS program, the COPS Reauthorization Act (HR 1700) would help local law enforcement agencies nationally hire an additional 50,000 police officers on the beat over the next six years.  The measure also includes funding for technology grants, school resource officers, community prosecutors, and incentives for agencies to hire former members of the military as law enforcement officers. 

“With statistics showing that crime is rising in the United States, Congress must do everything possible to support local law enforcement efforts to keep our families and our communities safe,” said Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, who cited a recent Police Executive Research Forum report that concluded violent crimes have risen nationally by double digit percentages over the last two years.
Below is a detailed description of how the COPS program has benefited the 34th District from 1995 to 2005, and will continue to benefit the district over the next six years should the COPS Reauthorization become law.  [Please note that the below figures include COPS grants given to the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which serve constituencies beyond the 34th District boundaries.]

• Since 1995, the COPS program has helped law enforcement agencies serving the 34th District put 4,562 additional police officers and sheriff’s deputies on the beat.  With passage of the COPS Reauthorization Act, an additional 1,950 police officers and sheriff’s deputies will likely be hired over the course of the next six years by agencies serving the district.
• Since 1995, COPS has invested nearly $403 million in law enforcement agencies serving the 34th District.  With passage of the COPS Reauthorization Act, those agencies will likely receive an additional $123 million over the course of the next six years.
• Since 1995, the COPS program has enabled law enforcement agencies serving the 34th District to hire 49 additional school resource officers to keep our children safe at school.  With passage of the COPS Reauthorization Act, an additional 21 school resource officers will likely be hired over the course of the next six years by agencies serving the 34th District.
• Since 1995, the COPS program has allocated more than $39 million to local law enforcement agencies serving the 34th District to purchase crime-fighting technology and training that helps cops get out from behind their desks so they can patrol a beat.  With passage of the COPS Reauthorization, those agencies will likely receive an additional $12 million over the next six years.

This legislation has been endorsed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Sheriffs Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, the National Association of Police Organizations, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the National League of Cities.

-- ### --