July 5, 2018
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program
The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
portion of the annual appropriation for COPS was dedicated
program was created by Title I of the Violent Crime
to programs that helped law enforcement agencies purchase
Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-322,
new equipment, combat methamphetamine production,
“the 1994 Crime Act”). COPS grants are managed by the
upgrade criminal records, and improve their forensic
COPS Office, which was created in 1994 by the
science capabilities.
Department of Justice (DOJ) to oversee the COPS program.
The mission of the COPS Office is to advance the practice
In the early years of the COPS program, a majority of the
of community policing through information sharing and
program’s enacted appropriations went to grant programs
grant resources. According to the COPS Office, it awards
specifically aimed at hiring more law enforcement officers.
grants to “hire community policing professionals, develop
Beginning in FY1998, however, enacted appropriations for
and test innovative policing strategies, and provide training
the hiring programs began to decline, and by FY2005,
and technical assistance to community members, local
appropriations for hiring programs were nearly nonexistent.
government leaders, and all levels of law enforcement.”
Funding for hiring programs was revived when the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L.
A Brief Legislative History
111-5) provided $1 billion for COPS. Appropriations for
Under the initial authorization for the COPS program,
hiring programs from FY2009 to FY2012 were the result of
grants could be awarded for (1) hiring new police officers
Congress’s efforts to help local law enforcement agencies
or rehiring police officers who have been laid off to engage
facing budget cuts as a result of the recession either hire
in community policing, (2) hiring former members of the
new law enforcement officers or retain officers they would
armed services to serve as career law enforcement officers
otherwise have to lay off. Appropriations have continued to
engaged in community policing, and (3) supporting non-
be provided for hiring programs even as the effects of the
hiring initiatives, such as training law enforcement officers
recession have waned.
in crime prevention and community policing techniques or
developing technologies that support crime prevention
There is a notable change in the total amount of funding
strategies. The 1994 Crime Act authorized funding for the
provided for COPS since FY2011. From FY2012 to
COPS program through FY2000.
FY2017, approximately $200 million was provided for the
COPS account each fiscal year, though funding for COPS
The COPS program was reauthorized by the Violence
increased to $276 million for FY2018. Prior to FY2012, the
Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization
least amount of funding provided for COPS was $472
Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-162). The act reauthorized
million for FY2006. The drop in annual appropriations for
appropriations for the COPS program for FY2006-FY2009.
COPS can be attributed to two trends: (1) the congressional
Under that authorization, the COPS program changed from
earmark ban and (2) Congress restructuring the COPS
a multi-grant program to a single-grant program under
account.
which state or local law enforcement agencies are eligible
to apply for a “COPS grant.” These grants can be used for a
Congress implemented a ban on earmarks starting with
variety of purposes, including hiring or re-hiring
appropriations for FY2011. This ban substantially
community policing officers; procuring equipment,
decreased funding for the Law Enforcement Technology
technology, or support systems; or establishing school-
and the Methamphetamine Clean-up programs, which were
based partnerships between local law enforcement agencies
being administered by the COPS Office. By FY2012,
and local school systems.
Congress did not appropriate any funding for the Law
Enforcement Technology program and the only funding
COPS Funding
remaining for the Methamphetamine Clean-up program was
From FY1995 to FY1999, the annual appropriation for the
transferred to the Drug Enforcement Administration to
COPS program averaged nearly $1.4 billion. The relatively
assist with the clean-up of clandestine methamphetamine
high levels of funding during this time period were largely
laboratories. Congress ceased providing funding for the
the result of Congress’s and the Clinton Administration’s
Methamphetamine Clean-up program in FY2018.
efforts to place 100,000 new law enforcement officers on
the street.
From FY2010 to FY2012, Congress moved appropriations
for programs that were traditionally funded under the COPS
After the initial push to fund 100,000 new law enforcement
account—such as Project Safe Neighborhoods, DNA
officers through COPS grants, Congress moved away from
backlog reduction initiatives, Paul Coverdell grants,
providing funding for hiring law enforcement officers and
offender reentry programs, the National Criminal History
changed COPS into a conduit for providing federal
Improvement program, and the Bulletproof Vest Grant
assistance to support a wider range of local law
program—to the State and Local Law Enforcement
enforcement needs. Starting in FY1998, an increasing
Assistance (S&LLEA) account. Programs funded under the
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Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program
S&LLEA account are administered by the Office of Justice
Total
Funding for
Proportion
Programs (OJP). Prior to the programs being moved to the
Fiscal
Budget
Hiring
Transferred to
S&LLEA, appropriations for them were transferred from
Year
Authority
Programs
OJP
COPS to OJP for administration. In general, from FY2001
to FY2011, appropriations for programs that were
2006
472
—
53%
transferred to OJP accounted for one-third to one-half of the
annual funding for the COPS account.
2007
542
—
51%
2008
587
20
41%
Recently, Congress has somewhat reversed the trend of not
providing funding for programs under the COPS account
2009
1,551
1,000
18%
that are not administered by the COPS Office. For both
2010
792
298
26%
FY2017 and FY2018, Congress provided funding for the
Regional Information Sharing System (RISS) program
2011
495
247
34%
under the COPS account. This funding was transferred to
2012
199
141
0%
OJP.
2013
210
155
0%
Table 1. COPS’ Total Budget Authority, Funding for
Hiring Programs, and Transfers to OJP, FY1995-
2014
214
151
0%
FY2018
2015
208
135
0%
Amounts in millions of dol ars
2016
212
137
0%
Total
Funding for
Proportion
2017
222
137
14%
Fiscal
Budget
Hiring
Transferred to
Year
Authority
Programs
OJP
2018
276
150
13%
Source: FY1995-FY2017 appropriations were provided by the U.S.
1995
$1,300
$1,057
0%
Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing
1996
1,400
1,128
0%
Services; FY2018 appropriation was taken from joint explanatory
statement to accompany P.L. 115-141, printed in the March 22, 2018,
1997
1,420
1,339
0%
Congressional Record (pp. H2084-H2115).
1998
1,633
1,338
0%
Notes: Total budget authority includes carryover from previous
1999
1,520
1,201
4%
fiscal years. The FY2009 enacted amount includes $1 bil ion COPS
2000
913
481
21%
received for hiring grants for FY2009 appropriated under the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5). The
2001
1,042
408
30%
FY2013 enacted amount includes the amount sequestered per the
2002
1,105
385
33%
Budget Control Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-25).
2003
978
199
35%
Nathan James, Analyst in Crime Policy
2004
748
114
36%
IF10922
2005
598
10
38%

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Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program



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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10922 · VERSION 2 · NEW

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