Federal Grant Award Summary

The City of Ridgefield received a $175,000 Project Grant from the Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) under the Public Safety Partnership and Community Policing Grants program (CFDA 16.710), awarded October 1, 2025, with a completion date of September 30, 2027. The grant funds a multifaceted police recruitment initiative designed to expand the candidate pool for the Ridgefield Police Department, a rural agency in southwest Washington. The project delivers digital recruitment products including professionally produced recruitment videos, a dedicated recruitment website, targeted social media advertising campaigns, and recruitment pamphlets. Additionally, current officers conduct personal outreach at community and higher education recruitment events across Washington and Oregon to engage prospective candidates directly.

The grant includes a comparative knowledge-sharing component, with the city producing a comprehensive final report documenting project outcomes, key takeaways, and lessons learned. These deliverables are designed to be scalable and applicable to other rural law enforcement agencies seeking to enhance their recruitment efforts. By combining digital marketing strategies with direct community engagement, the project addresses the staffing challenges common to rural police departments while contributing to the broader community policing objectives supported by the COPS program.