Updated January 30, 2020
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program
The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
After the initial push to fund 100,000 new law enforcement
program was created by Title I of the Violent Crime
officers through COPS grants, Congress moved away from
Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-322,
providing funding for hiring law enforcement officers and
“the 1994 Crime Act”). COPS grants are managed by the
changed COPS into a conduit for providing federal
COPS Office, which was created in 1994 by the
assistance to support a wider range of local law
Department of Justice (DOJ) to oversee the COPS program.
enforcement needs. Starting in FY1998, an increasing
The mission of the COPS Office is to advance the practice
portion of the annual appropriation for COPS was dedicated
of community policing through information sharing and
to programs that helped law enforcement agencies purchase
grant resources. According to the COPS Office, it awards
new equipment, combat methamphetamine production,
grants to “hire community policing professionals, develop
upgrade criminal records, and improve their forensic
and test innovative policing strategies, and provide training
science capabilities. Increasing funding for non-hiring
and technical assistance to community members, local
initiatives under the COPS account coincided with
government leaders, and all levels of law enforcement.”
decreasing funding for hiring programs. By FY2005,
appropriations for hiring programs were nearly nonexistent,
A Brief Legislative History
and Congress eliminated funding for them for FY2006 and
FY2007. Funding for hiring programs was revived when
Under the initial authorization for the COPS program,
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
grants could be awarded for (1) hiring new police officers
(P.L. 111-5) provided $1 billion for COPS. Appropriations
or rehiring police officers who have been laid off to engage
for hiring programs from FY2009 to FY2012 were the
in community policing, (2) hiring former members of the
result of Congress’s efforts to help local law enforcement
armed services to serve as career law enforcement officers
agencies facing budget cuts as a result of the recession
engaged in community policing, and (3) supporting non-
either hire new law enforcement officers or retain officers
hiring initiatives, such as training law enforcement officers
they would otherwise have to lay off. Appropriations have
in crime prevention and community policing techniques or
continued to be provided for hiring programs even as the
developing technologies that support crime prevention
effects of the recession have waned.
strategies. The 1994 Crime Act authorized funding for the
COPS program through FY2000.
There has been a notable change in the total amount of
funding provided for COPS since FY2011. Prior to
The COPS program was reauthorized by the Violence
FY2011, the least amount of funding provided for COPS
Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization
was $472 million for FY2006. From FY2007 to FY2017,
Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-162). The act reauthorized
annual COPS funding ranged from a low of $199 million
appropriations for the COPS program from FY2006 to
for FY2012 to a high of $222 million for FY2017.
FY2009. Under that authorization, the COPS program
Although COPS funding has increased steadily since
changed from a multi-grant program to a single-grant
FY2017, annual funding has remained significantly lower
program under which state or local law enforcement
than before FY2011. Lower annual appropriations for
agencies are eligible to apply for a “COPS grant.” These
COPS can be attributed to three trends: (1) a decrease in the
grants can be used for a variety of purposes, including
amount of funding provided for hiring programs, (2) the
hiring or re-hiring community policing officers; procuring
congressional earmark ban, and (3) Congress restructuring
law enforcement equipment, technology, or support
of the COPS account.
systems; or establishing school-based partnerships between
local law enforcement agencies and local school systems.
Congress implemented a ban on earmarks starting with
appropriations for FY2011. This ban substantially
Congress has continued to appropriate funding for the
decreased funding for the Law Enforcement Technology
COPS program even though authorized appropriations for
and the Methamphetamine Clean-up programs, which were
the program expired in FY2009.
being administered by the COPS Office. By FY2012,
Congress did not appropriate any funding for the Law
COPS Funding
Enforcement Technology program and the only funding
From FY1995 to FY1999, the annual appropriation for the
remaining for the Methamphetamine Clean-up program was
COPS program averaged nearly $1.4 billion. The relatively
transferred to the Drug Enforcement Administration to
high levels of funding during this time period were largely
assist with the clean-up of clandestine methamphetamine
the result of Congress’s and the Clinton Administration’s
laboratories. Congress ceased providing funding for the
efforts to place 100,000 new law enforcement officers on
Methamphetamine Clean-up program in FY2018.
the street.
From FY2010 to FY2012, Congress moved appropriations
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
S&LLEA, appropriations for them were transferred from
COPS to OJP for administration. In general, from FY2001
2007
542
—
51%
to FY2011, appropriations for programs that were
transferred to OJP accounted for one-third to one-half of the
2008
587
20
41%
annual funding for the COPS account.
2009
1,551
1,000
18%
Funding for COPS has increased in recent fiscal years, from
$276 million for FY2018, and $304 million for FY2019, to
2010
792
298
26%
$343 million for FY2020. Increased funding for the COPS
account in the three most recent fiscal years is the result of
2011
495
247
34%
Congress increasing funding for hiring programs, and for
anti-heroin task forces, active shooter training, and grants
2012
199
141
0%
under the Matching Grant Program for School Security.
2013
210
155
0%
In addition, Congress has somewhat reversed the trend of
not providing funding for programs under the COPS
2014
214
151
0%
account that are not administered by the COPS Office.
Since FY2017, Congress provided funding for the Regional
2015
208
135
0%
Information Sharing System (RISS) program under the
COPS account. This funding was transferred to OJP.
2016
212
137
0%
Table 1. COPS’ Total Budget Authority, Funding for
2017
222
137
14%
Hiring Programs, and Transfers to OJP, FY1995-
FY2020
2018
276
150
13%
Amounts in millions of dollars
2019
304
153
12%
Total
Funding for
Proportion
Fiscal
Budget
Hiring
Transferred to
2020
343
156
11%
Year
Authority
Programs
OJP
Source: FY1995-FY2017 appropriations were provided by the U.S.
1995
$1,300
$1,057
0%
Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing
Services; FY2018 appropriation was taken from joint explanatory
1996
1,400
1,128
0%
statement to accompany P.L. 115-141, printed in the March 22, 2018,
Congressional Record (pp. H2084-H2115); FY2019 appropriation was
1997
1,420
1,339
0%
taken from H.Rept. 116-9; FY2020 appropriation was taken from the
joint explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 116-93, printed in the
1998
1,633
1,338
0%
December 12, 2019, Congressional Record (pp. H10961-H10989).
1999
1,520
1,201
4%
Notes: Total budget authority includes carryover from previous
fiscal years. The FY2009 enacted amount includes $1 billion 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
Budget Control Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-25).
2002
1,105
385
33%
2003
978
199
35%
Nathan James, Analyst in Crime Policy
IF10922
2004
748
114
36%


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Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program


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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10922 · VERSION 4 · UPDATED

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