Sen. Ossoff urges Congress to boost funding for Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Grant Program
Federal grant program helps local agencies hire officers, purchase equipment, and fund trainings
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is urging Congress to increase funding for law enforcement.
Yesterday, in a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. Ossoff urged Congress to significantly increase resources for the Federal Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Grant Program, which helps agencies hire new officers and ensure they have the training, technology, and equipment they need to keep our communities safe.
Since FY2021, Georgia’s law enforcement agencies have successfully applied for and received over $21 million through this competitive Federal grant program to combat violent crime and increase public safety.
“Communities across Georgia rely upon and appreciate the daily sacrifice of officers and deputies in our state who put their lives on the line, who make tremendous sacrifices and take risks — and their families make tremendous sacrifices as well — to defend innocent people and to protect public safety,” Sen. Ossoff said. “And you know, Mr. Chairman, I think we need to consider significant increases to this authorization given the scope of need, given the violent crime that afflicts communities in my state and across the country. This program is a vital part of our national effort to resource public safety, and law enforcement, and to resource the kinds of innovative programs that you’ve testified you prioritize, to build trust between communities and law enforcement.”
Early last year, Sens. Ossoff and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the bipartisan Filling Public Safety Vacancies Act to help law enforcement agencies reduce staffing shortages and effectively protect communities.
Click here to watch Sen. Ossoff’s remarks.
Sen. Ossoff continues working to strengthen resources for law enforcement and to keep Georgia communities safe.
Last month, Sen. Ossoff’s bipartisan bill to strengthen Federal homicide prosecution and crack down on violent crime passed the U.S. Senate.
Last month, Sen. Ossoff also delivered new resources for Augusta-Richmond’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), which plans to create a co-responder team in which mental health specialists respond alongside trained law enforcement officers to emergencies where someone is experiencing a mental health crisis.
Earlier this year, Sens. Ossoff and Grassley introduced the bipartisan Preventing Child Trafficking Act of 2024 to strengthen coordination between the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prevent child trafficking.
In October, Sen. Ossoff delivered funding for the Brookhaven Police Crime Scene Investigations Unit (BPD CSU) to bolster their forensic identification capability.
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