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Updated February 17, 2023
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program
Background
retain officers they would otherwise have to lay off.
Under the initial authorization for the Community Oriented
Appropriations continued to be provided for hiring
Policing Services (COPS) program (Title I of the Violent
programs even as the effects of that recession waned.
Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, P.L.
There was a notable reduction in the total amount of
103-322, “the 1994 Crime Act”), grants could be awarded
funding provided for the COPS program since FY2012
for (1) hiring new police officers or rehiring police officers
relative to previous fiscal years. Prior to FY2012, the least
who have been laid off to engage in community policing,
amount of annual funding (in nominal dollars) provided for
(2) hiring former members of the armed services to serve as
the COPS program was $472 million for FY2006. Although
career law enforcement officers engaged in community
COPS program funding has increased over the past several
policing, and (3) supporting community policing nonhiring
fiscal years (see Table 1), annual funding has remained
initiatives, such as training law enforcement officers in
significantly lower than it was before FY2012. Lower
crime prevention and community policing techniques or
annual appropriations for the COPS program since FY2012
developing technologies that support crime prevention
can be attributed to three trends: (1) a decrease in the
strategies.
amount of funding provided for hiring programs, (2) the
The COPS program was reauthorized by the Violence
ban on congressionally directed spending, and (3)
Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization
Congress’s restructuring of the COPS account. (Recent
Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-162). The act changed the COPS
increases in annual COPS funding is attributable to a partial
program from a multi-grant program to a single-grant
reversal of some of these trends.)
program under which DOJ can make grants to state, local,
Congress had a ban on congressionally directed spending
and tribal governments, and other public and private entities
from FY2011 to FY2021. This ban substantially decreased
for a variety of enumerated purposes (see 34 U.S.C.
funding for the Law Enforcement Technology and the
§10381(b)).
Methamphetamine Clean-up programs, which were being
administered by the COPS Office. By FY2012, Congress
Congress has continued to appropriate funding for the
did not appropriate any funding for the Law Enforcement
COPS program even though authorized appropriations for
Technology program and the only funding remaining for
the program expired in FY2009.
the Methamphetamine Clean-up program was transferred to
COPS Funding
the Drug Enforcement Administration to assist with the
clean-up of clandestine methamphetamine laboratories.
From FY1995 to FY1999, the annual appropriation for the
Congress ceased providing funding for the
COPS program averaged nearly $1.4 billion. The relatively
Methamphetamine Clean-up program in FY2018.
high levels of funding during this time period, relative to
post-FY2000 appropriations, were largely the result of
From FY2010 to FY2012, Congress moved appropriations
efforts to place 100,000 new law enforcement officers on
for several programs that were funded under the COPS
the streets.
account—such as Project Safe Neighborhoods, DNA
After the initial push to hire and fund 100,000 new law
backlog reduction initiatives, Paul Coverdell grants,
enforcement officers, Congress started to change the COPS
offender reentry programs, the National Criminal History
program into a conduit for supporting a wider range of local
Improvement program, and the Bulletproof Vest Grant
law enforcement needs. Starting in FY1998, an increasing
program—to the State and Local Law Enforcement
portion of the annual appropriation for COPS was dedicated
Assistance (S&LLEA) account. Programs funded under this
to programs that helped law enforcement agencies purchase
account are administered by the Office of Justice Programs
new equipment, combat methamphetamine production,
(OJP). Prior to the programs being moved to the S&LLEA,
upgrade criminal history record systems, and improve their
appropriations for them were transferred from the COPS
forensic science capabilities. Increasing funding for
Office to OJP for administration. In general, from FY2001
nonhiring initiatives under the COPS account coincided
to FY2011, appropriations for programs that were
with decreasing funding for hiring programs. By FY2005,
transferred to OJP accounted for one-third to one-half of the
appropriations for hiring programs were nearly nonexistent,
annual funding for the COPS account. In recent fiscal years,
and Congress eliminated funding for them for FY2006 and
differing proportions of the COPS account has again been
FY2007. Funding for hiring programs was revived when
transferred to OJP. Since FY2017, Congress has provided
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
funding for the Regional Information Sharing System
(P.L. 111-5) provided $1 billion for the COPS program.
(RISS) program under the COPS account, which is
Appropriations for hiring programs from FY2009 to
transferred to OJP.
FY2012 were the result of Congress’s efforts to help local
law enforcement agencies facing budget cuts as a result of
Funding for the COPS program has increased in the last
the recession either hire new law enforcement officers or
seven fiscal years, from $208 million for FY2015 to $663
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program
million for FY2023. Increased funding for the COPS
to reduce involvement with the criminal justice system
account is the result of Congress increasing funding for
rather than increasing the number of police officers.
hiring programs, and for anti-heroin task forces, active
President Biden has indicated his support for the COPS
shooter training, and grants under the Matching Grant
program as a way to promote law enforcement reform
Program for School Security. Also, for FY2022 and
through community policing efforts. In his plan for criminal
FY2023 Congress provided funding for the COPS Law
justice reform, President Biden states
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, FY2014-
in order to do that, police departments need
FY2023
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.
2014
214
151
0%
Since FY2021, funding has been provided under the COPS
account for programs to promote policing reform efforts,
2015
208
135
0%
such as funding for de-escalation training, improving law
enforcement’s response to people with mental health
2016
212
137
0%
problems, helping law enforcement agencies gain
accreditation, and anti-bias and diversity training. While
2017
222
137
14%
there was also continued funding for the COPS hiring
program, for FY2022 the COPS Office gave additional
2018
276
150
13%
consideration to applicants that indicated they would use
funding to recruit officers from the communities in which
they would serve and who are willing to relocate to areas
2019
304
153
12%
characterized by fragmented relations between police and
community residents or to areas of high crime.
2020
343
156
11%
The COPS program has also been integral to the debate
2021
386
157
10%
over what steps Congress can take to aid state and local
governments in their efforts to address violent crime. While
2022
512
157
6%
there is debate over whether additional police officers alone
can help reduce violent crime (see CRS In Focus IF12022,
2023
663
225
7%
State and Local Law Enforcement Officer Staffing for a
brief discussion), some policymakers have argued for
Source: FY2014-FY2017 appropriations were provided by the U.S.
additional funds for the COPS hiring program as one
Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing
avenue to help cities address increases in violent crime. In
Services; FY2018-FY2023 appropriations were taken from the
its FY2023 congressional budget submission for the COPS
explanatory statement to accompany the annual Commerce, Justice,
program, the Biden Administration requested increased
Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
funding for the COPS hiring program to “put additional
officers on the nation’s streets to assist in improving public
Notes: Total budget authority includes carryover from previous
safety” and to support law enforcement efforts that are
fiscal years.
“designed to mitigate homicides, gun violence, and other
Debate over the COPS Program, Law
criminal activity, while simultaneously promoting trust and
Enforcement Reform, and Violent Crime cooperation with community residents to identify prolific
offenders and reduce crime.” Some proponents of policing
Recently, funding for the COPS program, especially the
reform efforts argue that (1) policymakers have emphasized
hiring program, has become a flashpoint in the debate over
the need to increase the number of law enforcement officers
policing reform. Some proponents of law enforcement
as a means of tackling violent crime when they have not
reform argue that law enforcement agencies police
taken sufficient steps to address how the police treat people
communities of color in a biased way, and more police
of color and (2) the focus on recent increases in violent
officers means that more people of color, especially Black
crime in certain U.S. cities is detracting from efforts to
men, could be arrested for relatively minor offenses.
follow through on law enforcement reform proposals.
Proponents of reform argue that funding should be used for
programs that address social problems (e.g., poverty,
Nathan James, Acting Section Research Manager
homelessness, lack of access to mental health care) in order
IF10922
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10922 · VERSION 9 · UPDATED