APPD receives federal funds to hire five officers
$625,000 grant covers salaries and benefits packages for three years
Five new police officers will soon be hired in Asbury Park.
Friday evening, Democratic Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. announced the additional officers will be added to the force as a direct result of a Community Oriented Policing Services [COPS] grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice Office, according to a press release from his website.
The $625,000 grant fully funds entry-level salaries and benefits packages for full-time police officers over a three-year period, the release said.
“Safety is essential to the future growth and success of our communities, and I believe that having five additional officers on the Asbury Park police force will make a significant difference on our streets,” Pallone said in the release. ” This is a wise investment that will benefit children and families in Asbury Park.”
Grantees for the 2013 hiring program were selected based on their fiscal needs, local crime rates and community policing plans, the release said.
This year’s funds awarded more than $125 million nationally to 263 cities and counties, aimed at creating 937 law enforcement positions. Nearly $45 of the $125 million funds 356 new school resource officer positions. Other New Jersey municipalities on the grantee list are Bridgeton, Camden, Paterson and Westampton, according to a release from the U.S. District Attorney’s New Jersey office website.
“In a time of diminished resources, it is more important than ever that we do all we can to ensure public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman in the release. “Local law enforcement often is required to hold the front line while taking the most painful cuts. I am pleased to join in announcing the Justice Department’s support of these departments and the admirable job their officers are doing to protect our communities.”
The COPS office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1995, COPS has awarded over $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 125,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training, and technical assistance, according to the COPS website.
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