Justice Dept. grant awards $139M to hire 1,000 new officers

By MICHAEL BALSAMO
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is giving $139 million to police departments across the U.S. as part of a grant program that would bring on more than 1,000 new officers. The grant funding announced Thursday comes through the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and will be awarded to 183 law enforcement agencies. The funding is meant to help police departments reduce crime and encourage community policing. The grant awards come as police departments across the U.S. have been facing budget reductions, with cities struggling with ballooning costs from the coronavirus pandemic and national calls to reduce police funding in favor of spending more money on social services.