Updated May 21, 2019
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program
The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
providing funding for hiring law enforcement officers and
program was created by Title I of the Violent Crime
changed COPS into a conduit for providing federal
Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-322,
assistance to support a wider range of local law
“the 1994 Crime Act”). COPS grants are managed by the
enforcement needs. Starting in FY1998, an increasing
COPS Office, which was created in 1994 by the
portion of the annual appropriation for COPS was dedicated
Department of Justice (DOJ) to oversee the COPS program.
to programs that helped law enforcement agencies purchase
The mission of the COPS Office is to advance the practice
new equipment, combat methamphetamine production,
of community policing through information sharing and
upgrade criminal records, and improve their forensic
grant resources. According to the COPS Office, it awards
science capabilities. Increasing funding for non-hiring
grants to “hire community policing professionals, develop
initiatives under the COPS account coincided with
and test innovative policing strategies, and provide training
decreasing funding for hiring programs. By FY2005,
and technical assistance to community members, local
appropriations for hiring programs were nearly nonexistent,
government leaders, and all levels of law enforcement.”
and Congress eliminated funding for them for FY2006 and
FY2007. Funding for hiring programs was revived when
A Brief Legislative History
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
Under the initial authorization for the COPS program,
(P.L. 111-5) provided $1 billion for COPS. Appropriations
grants could be awarded for (1) hiring new police officers
for hiring programs from FY2009 to FY2012 were the
or rehiring police officers who have been laid off to engage
result of Congress’s efforts to help local law enforcement
in community policing, (2) hiring former members of the
agencies facing budget cuts as a result of the recession
armed services to serve as career law enforcement officers
either hire new law enforcement officers or retain officers
engaged in community policing, and (3) supporting non-
they would otherwise have to lay off. Appropriations have
hiring initiatives, such as training law enforcement officers
continued to be provided for hiring programs even as the
in crime prevention and community policing techniques or
effects of the recession have waned.
developing technologies that support crime prevention
strategies. The 1994 Crime Act authorized funding for the
There is a notable change in the total amount of funding
COPS program through FY2000.
provided for COPS since FY2011. From FY2012 to
FY2017, approximately $200 million was provided for the
The COPS program was reauthorized by the Violence
COPS account each fiscal year, though funding for COPS
Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization
increased to $276 million for FY2018 and to $304 million
Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-162). The act reauthorized
for FY2019. Increased funding for the COPS account in the
appropriations for the COPS program from FY2006 to
two most recent fiscal years is the result of Congress
FY2009. Under that authorization, the COPS program
increasing funding for anti-heroin task forces and providing
changed from a multi-grant program to a single-grant
funding for active shooter training and grants under the
program under which state or local law enforcement
recently reauthorized Matching Grant Program for School
agencies are eligible to apply for a “COPS grant.” These
Security. Prior to FY2012, the least amount of funding
grants can be used for a variety of purposes, including
provided for COPS was $472 million for FY2006. The drop
hiring or re-hiring community policing officers; procuring
in annual appropriations for COPS can be attributed to two
law enforcement equipment, technology, or support
trends: (1) the congressional earmark ban and (2) Congress
systems; or establishing school-based partnerships between
restructuring the COPS account.
local law enforcement agencies and local school systems.
Congress implemented a ban on earmarks starting with
Congress has continued to appropriate funding for the
appropriations for FY2011. This ban substantially
COPS program even though authorized appropriations for
decreased funding for the Law Enforcement Technology
the program expired in FY2009.
and the Methamphetamine Clean-up programs, which were
being administered by the COPS Office. By FY2012,
COPS Funding
Congress did not appropriate any funding for the Law
From FY1995 to FY1999, the annual appropriation for the
Enforcement Technology program and the only funding
COPS program averaged nearly $1.4 billion. The relatively
remaining for the Methamphetamine Clean-up program was
high levels of funding during this time period were largely
transferred to the Drug Enforcement Administration to
the result of Congress’s and the Clinton Administration’s
assist with the clean-up of clandestine methamphetamine
efforts to place 100,000 new law enforcement officers on
laboratories. Congress ceased providing funding for the
the street.
Methamphetamine Clean-up program in FY2018.
After the initial push to fund 100,000 new law enforcement
From FY2010 to FY2012, Congress moved appropriations
officers through COPS grants, Congress moved away from
for programs that were traditionally funded under the COPS
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Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program
account—such as Project Safe Neighborhoods, DNA
Total
Funding for
Proportion
backlog reduction initiatives, Paul Coverdell grants,
Fiscal
Budget
Hiring
Transferred to
offender reentry programs, the National Criminal History
Year
Authority
Programs
OJP
Improvement program, and the Bulletproof Vest Grant
program—to the State and Local Law Enforcement
2005
598
10
38%
Assistance (S&LLEA) account. Programs funded under the
S&LLEA account are administered by the Office of Justice
2006
472
—
53%
Programs (OJP). Prior to the programs being moved to the
2007
542
—
51%
S&LLEA, appropriations for them were transferred from
COPS to OJP for administration. In general, from FY2001
2008
587
20
41%
to FY2011, appropriations for programs that were
2009
1,551
1,000
18%
transferred to OJP accounted for one-third to one-half of the
annual funding for the COPS account.
2010
792
298
26%
2011
495
247
34%
Recently, Congress has somewhat reversed the trend of not
providing funding for programs under the COPS account
2012
199
141
0%
that are not administered by the COPS Office. Since
2013
210
155
0%
FY2017, Congress provided funding for the Regional
Information Sharing System (RISS) program under the
2014
214
151
0%
COPS account. This funding was transferred to OJP.
2015
208
135
0%
Table 1. COPS’ Total Budget Authority, Funding for
2016
212
137
0%
Hiring Programs, and Transfers to OJP, FY1995-
FY2019
2017
222
137
14%
Amounts in millions of dollars
2018
276
150
13%
Total
Funding for
Proportion
2019
304
153
12%
Fiscal
Budget
Hiring
Transferred to
Source: FY1995-FY2017 appropriations were provided by the U.S.
Year
Authority
Programs
OJP
Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing
1995
$1,300
$1,057
0%
Services; FY2018 appropriation was taken from joint explanatory
statement to accompany P.L. 115-141, printed in the March 22, 2018,
1996
1,400
1,128
0%
Congressional Record (pp. H2084-H2115); FY2019 appropriation was
taken from H.Rept. 116-9.
1997
1,420
1,339
0%
1998
1,633
1,338
0%
Notes: Total budget authority includes carryover from previous
fiscal years. The FY2009 enacted amount includes $1 billion COPS
1999
1,520
1,201
4%
received for hiring grants for FY2009 appropriated under the
2000
913
481
21%
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5). The
FY2013 enacted amount includes the amount sequestered per the
2001
1,042
408
30%
Budget Control Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-25).
2002
1,105
385
33%
2003
978
199
35%
Nathan James, Analyst in Crime Policy
2004
748
114
36%
IF10922

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Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program



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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10922 · VERSION 3 · UPDATED

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