Updated May 17, 2022
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program
Background
the recession either hire new law enforcement officers or
Under the initial authorization for the Community Oriented
retain officers they would otherwise have to lay off.
Policing Services (COPS) program (Title I of the Violent
Appropriations continued to be provided for hiring
Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, P.L.
programs even as the effects of that recession waned.
103-322, “the 1994 Crime Act”), grants could be awarded
for (1) hiring new police officers or rehiring police officers
There was a notable reduction in the total amount of
who have been laid off to engage in community policing,
funding provided for the COPS program since FY2011
(2) hiring former members of the armed services to serve as
relative to previous fiscal years. Prior to FY2011, the least
career law enforcement officers engaged in community
amount of annual funding (in nominal dollars) provided for
policing, and (3) supporting community policing non-hiring
the COPS program was $472 million for FY2006. From
initiatives, such as training law enforcement officers in
FY2007 to FY2017, annual COPS program funding ranged
crime prevention and community policing techniques or
from a low of $199 million for FY2012 to a high of $222
developing technologies that support crime prevention
million for FY2017. Although COPS program funding has
strategies.
increased steadily since FY2017, annual funding has
remained significantly lower than before FY2011. Lower
The COPS program was reauthorized by the Violence
annual appropriations for the COPS program can be
Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization
attributed to three trends: (1) a decrease in the amount of
Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-162). The act changed the COPS
funding provided for hiring programs, (2) the congressional
program from a multi-grant program to a single-grant
earmark ban, and (3) Congress’s restructuring of the COPS
program under which DOJ can make grants to state, local,
account.
and tribal governments, and other public and private entities
for a variety of enumerated purposes (see 34 U.S.C.
Congress implemented a ban on earmarks starting with
§10381(b)).
appropriations for FY2011. This ban substantially
decreased funding for the Law Enforcement Technology
Congress has continued to appropriate funding for the
and the Methamphetamine Clean-up programs, which were
COPS program even though authorized appropriations for
being administered by the COPS Office. By FY2012,
the program expired in FY2009.
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, relative to
laboratories. Congress ceased providing funding for the
post-FY2000 appropriations, were largely the result of
Methamphetamine Clean-up program in FY2018.
efforts to place 100,000 new law enforcement officers on
the streets.
From FY2010 to FY2012, Congress moved appropriations
for several programs that were funded under the COPS
After the initial push to hire and fund 100,000 new law
account—such as Project Safe Neighborhoods, DNA
enforcement officers, Congress started to change the COPS
backlog reduction initiatives, Paul Coverdell grants,
program into a conduit for supporting a wider range of local
offender reentry programs, the National Criminal History
law enforcement needs. Starting in FY1998, an increasing
Improvement program, and the Bulletproof Vest Grant
portion of the annual appropriation for COPS was dedicated
program—to the State and Local Law Enforcement
to programs that helped law enforcement agencies purchase
Assistance (S&LLEA) account. Programs funded under this
new equipment, combat methamphetamine production,
account are administered by the Office of Justice Programs
upgrade criminal history records, and improve their forensic
(OJP). Prior to the programs being moved to the S&LLEA,
science capabilities. Increasing funding for nonhiring
appropriations for them were transferred from the COPS
initiatives under the COPS account coincided with
Office to OJP for administration. In general, from FY2001
decreasing funding for hiring programs. By FY2005,
to FY2011, appropriations for programs that were
appropriations for hiring programs were nearly nonexistent,
transferred to OJP accounted for one-third to one-half of the
and Congress eliminated funding for them for FY2006 and
annual funding for the COPS account. In recent fiscal years,
FY2007. Funding for hiring programs was revived when
differing proportions of the COPS account has again been
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
transferred to OJP. Since FY2017, Congress has provided
(P.L. 111-5) provided $1 billion for the COPS program.
funding for the Regional Information Sharing System
Appropriations for hiring programs from FY2009 to
(RISS) program under the COPS account, which was
FY2012 were the result of Congress’s efforts to help local
transferred to OJP.
law enforcement agencies facing budget cuts as a result of
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Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program
Funding for the COPS program has increased in the last
to reduce involvement with the criminal justice system
seven fiscal years, from $208 million for FY2015 to $512
rather than increasing the number of police officers.
million for FY2022. Increased funding for the COPS
account is the result of Congress increasing funding for
President Biden has indicated his support for the COPS
hiring programs, and for anti-heroin task forces, active
program as a way to promote law enforcement reform
shooter training, and grants under the Matching Grant
through community policing efforts. In his plan for criminal
Program for School Security. Also, for FY2022 Congress
justice reform, President Biden states
provided funding for the COPS Law Enforcement
Technology program for the first time since FY2010.
policing works best when officers are out of their
cruisers and walking the streets, engaging with and
Table 1. COPS’s Total Budget Authority, Funding for
getting to know members of their communities. But
Hiring Programs, and Transfers to OJP, FY2013-
in order to do that, police departments need
FY2022
resources to hire a sufficient number of officers.…
Amounts in millions of nominal dol ars
However, the [COPS] program has never been
funded to fulfill the original vision for community
Total
Funding for
Proportion
policing.… As a condition of the grant, hiring of
Fiscal
Budget
Hiring
Transferred to
police officers must mirror the racial diversity of the
Year
Authority
Programs
OJP
community they serve.
For FY2021 and FY2022, funding was provided under the
2013
210
155
0%
COPS account for programs to promote policing reform
efforts, such as funding for de-escalation training,
2014
214
151
0%
improving law enforcement’s response to people with
mental health problems, helping law enforcement agencies
2015
208
135
0%
gain accreditation, and anti-bias and diversity training.
While there was also continued funding for the COPS
2016
212
137
0%
hiring program, for FY2022 the COPS Office announced
that it would give additional consideration to applicants that
2017
222
137
14%
indicated they would use funding to recruit officers from
the communities in which they would serve and who are
2018
276
150
13%
willing to relocate to areas characterized by fragmented
relations between police and community residents or to
2019
304
153
12%
areas of high crime.
2020
343
156
11%
The COPS program has also been integral to the debate
over what steps Congress can take to aid state and local
2021
386
157
10%
governments in their efforts to address violent crime. The
Federal Bureau of Investigation reported a 27.5% increase
2022
512
157
6%
in the homicide rate and an 11.7% increase in the
aggravated assault rate from 2019 to 2020. While there is
debate over whether additional police officers can help
Source: FY2013-FY2017 appropriations were provided by the U.S.
reduce violent crime (see CRS In Focus IF12022 for a brief
Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing
discussion), some policymakers have argued for additional
Services; FY2018-FY2022 appropriations were taken from the
funds for the COPS hiring program as one avenue to help
explanatory statement to accompany the annual Commerce, Justice,
cities address increases in violent crime. In its FY2023
Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
congressional budget submission for the COPS program,
Notes: Total budget authority includes carryover from previous
the Biden Administration requested increased funding for
fiscal years. The FY2013 enacted amount is post-sequestration as
the COPS hiring program to “put additional officers on the
implemented per the Budget Control Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-25).
nation’s streets to assist in improving public safety” and to
support law enforcement efforts that are “designed to
Debate over the COPS Program, Law
mitigate homicides, gun violence, and other criminal
Enforcement Reform, and Violent Crime activity, while simultaneously promoting trust and
Recently, funding for the COPS program, especially the
cooperation with community residents to identify prolific
hiring program, has become a flashpoint in the debate over
offenders and reduce crime.” Some proponents of policing
policing reform. Many proponents of law enforcement
reform efforts argue that (1) policymakers have emphasized
reform argue that law enforcement agencies police
the need to increase the number of law enforcement officers
communities of color in a biased way, and more police
as a means of tackling violent crime when they have not
officers means that more people of color, especially Black
taken sufficient steps to address how the police treat people
men, could be arrested for relatively minor offenses.
of color and (2) the focus on recent increases in violent
Proponents of reform argue that funding should be used for
crime in certain U.S. cities is detracting from efforts to
programs that address social problems (e.g., poverty,
follow through on law enforcement reform proposals.
homelessness, lack of access to mental health care) in order
Nathan James, Analyst in Crime Policy
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Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program

IF10922


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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10922 · VERSION 7 · UPDATED

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