Federal Grant Award Summary

The City of Bennington received a $125,000 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) under the COPS Hiring Program (CFDA 16.068), awarded on October 1, 2025, with a completion date of September 30, 2030. This five-year grant funds the hiring and rehiring of additional career law enforcement officers to expand the city's community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. The primary deliverables include the recruitment and employment of new law enforcement personnel who will support increased community engagement activities.

Beyond direct hiring, the grant supports implementation of complementary community policing initiatives designed to maximize the effectiveness of the expanded workforce. Expected outcomes include establishment of planned community partnerships, implementation of projects to analyze and assess public safety problems, and organizational changes to personnel and agency management systems that reinforce community policing strategies. The City of Bennington must submit semiannual programmatic performance reports and quarterly Federal Financial Reports to the COPS Office to demonstrate progress toward these community policing objectives and compliance with award requirements.