On Monday, May 9th, the U.S. Department of Justice made approximately $40 million in Community Policing Development (CPD) grants available, along with roughly $5 million for the Collaborative Reform Initiative.
Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta discussed the purpose of the funds in a press release:
“Nothing is more important than keeping our communities safe,” said Associate Attorney General Gupta. “Each day, approximately half a million people throughout the United States call 911 for help and there are hundreds of thousands more daily interactions between law enforcement and members of the communities they serve. The funding we are announcing today is critical to the department’s commitment to public safety and best practices in community policing.”
The CPD grants are intended to help law enforcement implement community policing through developing and testing innovative strategies, building knowledge about effective practices and outcomes, and supporting creative approaches to preventing crime and promoting safe communities. Collaborative Reform Initiative funds will be used for targeted assistance following a critical incident, issue-specific reviews and analysis, and in-depth assessments on systemic issues that damage community trust and confidence.
CPD grants will be used toward:
- Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT). Up to $10 million will support crisis intervention teams.
- De-escalation Training. Up to $15 million will support national-level de-escalation training for officers through regional centers.
- Accreditation. Up to $8 million to expand state accreditation programs and assist agencies with gaining accreditation will ensure compliance with state and national standards, covering all aspects of law enforcement policies, procedures, and practices.
- COPS Microgrants. Up to $5 million will support local agencies’ demonstration or pilot projects, known as COPS Microgrants. These projects offer creative ideas to advance crime-fighting, community engagement, problem-solving or organizational changes to support community policing.
- Tolerance, Diversity, and Anti-Bias Training. Up to $2 million will support the delivery of tolerance, diversity, and anti-bias training for law enforcement officers.
Collaborative Reform Initiative funds will be available for:
- A continuation of the Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC). Established in 2017, CRI-TAC provides a wide range of targeted technical assistance services and involves a coalition of support and expertise from ten leading law enforcement stakeholder organizations.
- An updated Critical Response. A law enforcement agency experiencing a high-profile event or other special circumstance will be able to reach out to the COPS Office for needed technical assistance.
- Updated Organizational Assessments. This program will offer the most intensive form of support, involving in-depth assessments on systemic issues.
The application deadlines for CPD grants and Collaborative Reform Initiative funds are June 23rd and July 8th, respectively. Counties and other eligible entities can find additional information and apply for funds at the DOJ’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) website.
