Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program

Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program

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Updated May 9, 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
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
FY2012 were the result of Congress’s efforts to help local
transferred to OJP.
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 $685
https://crsreports.congress.gov

Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program
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
policing works best when officers are out of their
Enforcement Technology program for the third straight
cruisers and walking the streets, engaging with and
fiscal year, after eliminating the program in FY2010.
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
Since FY2021, funding has been provided under the COPS
Year
Authority
Programs
OJP
account for programs to promote policing reform efforts,
such as funding for de-escalation training, improving law
2015
208
135
0%
enforcement’s response to people with mental health
problems, helping law enforcement agencies gain
2016
212
137
0%
accreditation, and anti-bias and diversity training. While
there was also continued funding for the COPS hiring
2017
222
137
16%
program, for FY2024 the COPS Office gave additional
consideration to applicants that indicated they would use
2018
276
150
13%
funding to (1) recruit officers from the communities in
which they would serve, (2) recruit officers who are willing
2019
304
153
12%
to relocate to areas characterized by fragmented relations
between police and community residents or to areas of high
2020
343
156
11%
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
over what steps Congress can take to aid state and local
2022
532
157
8%
governments in their efforts to address violent crime. While
there is debate over whether additional police officers alone
2023
683
225
6%
can help reduce violent crime (see CRS In Focus IF12022,
State and Local Law Enforcement Officer Staffing for a
2024
685
157
6%
brief discussion), some policymakers have argued for
additional funds for the COPS hiring program as one
Source: FY2015-FY2017 appropriations were provided by the U.S.
avenue to help cities address increases in violent crime. In
Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing
its FY2025 congressional budget submission for the COPS
Services; FY2018-FY2024 appropriations were taken from the
program, the Biden Administration requested increased
explanatory statement to accompany the annual Commerce, Justice,
funding for the COPS hiring program to support the hiring
Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
of 2,000 additional officers and to “increase the capacity of
law enforcement agencies to implement community
Notes: Total budget authority includes carryover from previous
policing strategies that strengthen partnerships for safer
fiscal years.
communities and enhance law enforcement’s capacity to
Debate over the COPS Program, Law
prevent, solve, and control crime – especially violent crime
Enforcement Reform, and Violent Crime – through funding for additional officer and deputy
positions.” Some proponents of policing reform efforts
Recently, funding for the COPS program, especially the
argue that (1) policymakers have emphasized the need to
hiring program, has become a flashpoint in the debate over
increase the number of law enforcement officers as a means
policing reform. Some proponents of law enforcement
of tackling violent crime when they have not taken
reform argue that law enforcement agencies police
sufficient steps to address how the police treat people of
communities of color in a biased way, and absent efforts to
color and (2) the focus on recent increases in violent crime
address underlying social factors, more police officers
in certain U.S. cities is detracting from efforts to follow
means that more people of color, especially Black men, will
through on law enforcement reform proposals.
be subject to biased policing. Proponents of reform argue
that funding should be used for programs that address social
Nathan James, Analyst in Crime Policy
problems (e.g., poverty, homelessness, lack of access to
mental health care) in order to reduce involvement with the
IF10922
criminal justice system rather than increasing the number of
police officers.
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Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program

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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10922 · VERSION 12 · UPDATED