Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office gets $5 million for 40 new officers
Jacksonville has received a $5 million federal grant to hire 40 police officers for community policing programs.
The money is among $20,875,000 in grant funding through the U.S. Department Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program.
The grants were awarded to 14 law enforcement agencies throughout the U.S. Middle District of Florida and will allow for the hiring of 167 additional full-time law enforcement officers.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office received the largest allotment, but a spokesman there said for this money to become available, the city would have to match a portion. So it still needs approval.
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Clay County received $625,000 for five officers, while Nassau County got $500,000 for four officers, according to the Justice Department.
“Community policing is an effective tool in reducing crime in our neighborhoods, building relationships of mutual trust and accountability and implementing successful prevention and intervention strategies,” U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez said.
The COPS Hiring Program is a competitive award program intended to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing by providing direct funding for the hiring of career law enforcement officers.
Funding through the program had been on hold since the spring of 2018 due to a nationwide injunction that was lifted earlier this year.
Teresa Stepzinski: (904) 359-4075