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Updated April 25, 2024
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 after 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
law enforcement officers engaged in community policing,
COPS program funding has increased over the past several
and (3) supporting community policing nonhiring
fiscal years (Table 1), annual funding from FY2012 to
initiatives, such as training law enforcement officers in
FY2021 remained significantly lower than it was before
crime prevention and community policing techniques or
FY2012. Lower annual appropriations for the COPS
developing technologies that support crime prevention
program during these fiscal years can be attributed to three
strategies.
trends: (1) a decrease in the amount of funding provided for
The COPS program was reauthorized by the Violence
hiring programs, (2) a ban on congressionally directed
Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization
spending, and (3) Congress’s restructuring of the COPS
Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-162). The act changed the COPS
account. However, increases in annual COPS funding
program from a multi-grant program to a single-grant
starting in FY2022 are attributable to a partial reversal of
program under which DOJ can make grants to state, local,
some of these trends.
and tribal governments, and other public and private entities
Congress had a ban on congressionally directed spending
for a variety of enumerated purposes (see 34 U.S.C.
from FY2011 to FY2021. This ban substantially decreased
§10381(b)).
funding for the Law Enforcement Technology and the
Methamphetamine Clean-up programs, which were being
Congress has continued to appropriate funding for the
administered by the COPS Office. By FY2012, Congress
COPS program even though authorized appropriations for
did not appropriate any funding for the Law Enforcement
the program expired in FY2009.
Technology program and the only funding remaining for
COPS Funding
the Methamphetamine Clean-up program was transferred to
the Drug Enforcement Administration to assist with the
From FY1995 to FY1999, the annual appropriation for the
clean-up of clandestine methamphetamine laboratories.
COPS program averaged nearly $1.4 billion. The relatively
Congress ceased providing funding for the
high levels of funding during this time period, compared to
Methamphetamine Clean-up program in FY2018.
post-FY2000 appropriations, were largely the result of
efforts to place 100,000 new law enforcement officers on
From FY2010 to FY2012, Congress moved appropriations
the streets.
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 record systems, and improve their
(OJP). Prior to the programs being moved to the S&LLEA,
forensic science capabilities. Increasing funding for
appropriations for them were transferred from the COPS
nonhiring initiatives under the COPS account coincided
Office to OJP for administration. In general, from FY2001
with 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 is
FY2012 were the result of Congress’s efforts to help local
transferred to OJP.
law enforcement agencies facing budget cuts as a result of
the recession either hire new law enforcement officers or
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Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program
Funding for the COPS program has increased in the last
criminal justice system rather than increasing the number of
seven fiscal years, from $208 million for FY2015 to $665
police officers.
million for FY2024. Increased funding for the COPS
President Biden has indicated his support for the COPS
account is the result of Congress increasing funding for
program as a way to promote law enforcement reform
hiring programs, and for nonhiring initiatives such as anti-
through community policing efforts. In his plan for criminal
heroin task forces, active shooter training, and grants under
justice reform, President Biden stated
the Matching Grant Program for School Security. Also, for
FY2024 Congress provided funding for the COPS Law
Enforcement Technology program for the third straight
policing works best when officers are out of their
fiscal year, after eliminating the program in FY2010.
cruisers and walking the streets, engaging with and
getting to know members of their communities. But
in order to do that, police departments need
Table 1. COPS’s Total Budget Authority, Funding for
resources to hire a sufficient number of officers.…
Hiring Programs, and Transfers to OJP, FY2015-
However, the [COPS] program has never been
FY2024
funded to fulfill the original vision for community
Amounts in millions of nominal dol ars
policing.… As a condition of the grant, hiring of
police officers must mirror the racial diversity of the
Total
Funding for
Proportion
community they serve.
Fiscal
Budget
Hiring
Transferred to
Year
Authority
Programs
OJP
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 FY2024 the COPS Office gave additional
2018
276
150
13%
consideration to applicants that indicated they would use
funding to (1) recruit officers from the communities in
2019
304
153
12%
which they would serve, (2) recruit officers who are willing
to relocate to areas characterized by fragmented relations
2020
343
156
11%
between police and community residents or to areas of high
crime, and (3) require officers to complete evidence-based
cultural sensitivity training.
2021
386
157
10%
The COPS program has also been integral to the debate
2022
512
157
6%
over what steps Congress can take to aid state and local
governments in their efforts to address violent crime. While
2023
663
225
7%
there is debate over whether additional police officers alone
can help reduce violent crime (see CRS In Focus IF12022,
2024
665
157
7%
State and Local Law Enforcement Officer Staffing for a
brief discussion), some policymakers have argued for
Source: FY2015-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-FY2024 appropriations were taken from the
its FY2025 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 support the hiring
of 2,000 additional officers and to “increase the capacity of
Notes: Total budget authority includes carryover from previous
law enforcement agencies to implement community
fiscal years.
policing strategies that strengthen partnerships for safer
Debate over the COPS Program, Law
communities and enhance law enforcement’s capacity to
Enforcement Reform, and Violent Crime prevent, solve, and control crime – especially violent crime
– through funding for additional officer and deputy
Recently, funding for the COPS program, especially the
positions.” Some proponents of policing reform efforts
hiring program, has become a flashpoint in the debate over
argue that (1) policymakers have emphasized the need to
policing reform. Some proponents of law enforcement
increase the number of law enforcement officers as a means
reform argue that law enforcement agencies police
of tackling violent crime when they have not taken
communities of color in a biased way, and absent efforts to
sufficient steps to address how the police treat people of
address underlying social factors, more police officers
color and (2) the focus on recent increases in violent crime
means that more people of color, especially Black men, will
in certain U.S. cities is detracting from efforts to follow
be subject to biased policing. Proponents of reform argue
through on law enforcement reform proposals.
that funding should be used for programs that address social
problems (e.g., poverty, homelessness, lack of access to
Nathan James, Analyst in Crime Policy
mental health care) in order to reduce involvement with the
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Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program
IF10922
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10922 · VERSION 10 · UPDATED