The Department of Justice announced more than $139 million in grant funding through the department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP). The awards provide direct funding to 183 law enforcement agencies across the nation, allowing those agencies to hire over 1,000 additional full-time law enforcement professionals. In the Northern District of Indiana three cities/towns were awarded funding.
The City of Crown Point received $125,000, the Town of Cedar Lake received $125,000; and The Town of LaPaz, in Marshall County received $120,369.
CHP is a competitive award program intended to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing. CHP provides funds directly to law enforcement agencies to hire new or rehire additional career law enforcement officers. Of the 183 agencies awarded grants, approximately half will use the funding to “focus on building legitimacy and trust between law enforcement and communities;” 41 agencies will seek to address high rates of gun violence; 21 will focus on other areas of violence; and 19 will focus CHP resources on combating hate and domestic extremism or supporting police-based responses to persons in crisis.