COPS Hiring Program

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) is the component of the U.S. Department of Justice responsible for advancing the practice of community policing by the Nation's state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement age

COPS Office funding supports efforts to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing by providing direct support to state, local, territorial and tribal law enforcement agencies nationwide. This funding supports the hiring of career law enforcement officers to increase an agency's community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts.

Local, state, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies that have primary law enforcement authority are eligible to apply. An agency with primary law enforcement authority is defined as the first responder to calls for service for all types of criminal incidents within the jurisdiction served. Applicants must have a law enforcement agency (i.e. Sheriff's Office, Department, etc.) that is operational by the close of this application or receive services through a new or existing contract for law enforcement services through an existing contract for law enforcement services or a new contract for law enforcement services that is in place by the close of this solicitation. Applicants must also maintain primary law enforcement authority for the population to be served. If funds under this program are to be used as part of a written contracting agreement for law enforcement services (e.g., a town that contracts with a neighboring sheriff's department to receive services), the agency wishing to receive law enforcement services must be the legal applicant in this application. A law enforcement agency is established and operational if the jurisdiction has passed authorizing legislation and it has a current operating budget.

Documentation may include proof of primary law enforcement authority and/or specified Memorandums of Understanding, Certifications, Assurances, and Disclosures of Lobbying Activity, 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles apply to this program.

The COPS Hiring Program (CHP) provides funding to law enforcement agencies to hire and/or rehire additional sworn career law enforcement officers in an effort to increase their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts.

COPS Hiring Program (CHP) Grants have a 5-year period of performance.

- Search using the Assistance Listing Title and the Funding Opportunity Number from the solicitation. - Select "Apply for Grants" under the "Applicants" column. Enter your email address to be notified of any changes to the opportunity package before the closing date. Click the Workspace icon to use Grants.gov Workspace. - Within 24 hours of JustGrants receiving an application from Grants.gov, the user submitting the application in Grants.gov and SAM E-Biz POC will receive an email to register for a JustGrants account. The email is from DOJ's secure user management system (DIAMD) and will include instructions on how to create an account. To ensure that you receive these emails and that they are not flagged as spam, we recommend adding DIAMD-NoReply@usdoj.gov to the trusted sender list in your email settings. The E-Biz POC at the applicant organization serves as the Entity Administrator and must log in to JustGrants to confirm the entity's profile, add users, and assign the two required Authorized Representatives (Law Enforcement Executive/Program Official and Government Executive/Financial Official). The Authorized Representatives are officials who have ultimate and final responsibility for all programmatic and financial decisions for your agency, as the legal recipient. - The Application Submitter will complete the application by entering data into web-based forms, uploading attachments, and accepting assurances and certifications. Before you submit your application, each section much be completed and free of validation errors. If not, please return to each identified page using the table of contents on the right side of the page. If any required fields are unanswered, they will be flagged with warning messages. In this case, answer these required fields. - Once all sections are completed, the application submitter will submit the application.

General criteria for selecting proposals are set forth in the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, Public Law 103-322. Additional Criteria may be developed by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and will be published in the Notice of Funding Opportunity application materials.

Upon approval by the Director of the Office of Community Oriented Services, award notifications will be sent to successful applicants. The award documents must be signed by the appropriate Authorized Representative(s).

COPS Hiring Grants are made for a period of 5 years. Extensions will be considered on a case-by-case basis for up to 12 additional months. When possible, extensions should be requested prior to the end date and as soon as possible when a recipient determines that more time is required to successfully complete a project.

All award decisions are final and not subject to appeal.