U.S. REP. KENDRICK MEEK ANNOUNCES NEARLY $90 MILLION FOR HIRING OF POLICE OFFICERS ACROSS FLORIDA

Legislation Will Create High-Quality Law Enforcement Jobs and Help Communities Fight Crime

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Congressman Kendrick B. Meek today announced a total of $87,873,220 of Department of Justice (DoJ) funding for the hiring and rehiring of police officers among sixty-six counties, cities, and police departments across Florida. The funding will be administered by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) through the federal agency's COPS Hiring Recovery Program.

"This funding is a win-win for Florida," said Meek. "Not only will it create and retain much needed law enforcement jobs across Florida, but it will also provide local governments with the resources they need to keep our communities safe."

The CHRP grants will provide 100 percent funding for approved entry-level salaries and benefits for three years for newly-hired, full-time sworn officer positions (including filling existing unfunded vacancies) or for rehired officers who have been laid off, or are scheduled to be laid off on a future date, as a result of local budget cuts.

CHRP provides funding to address the full-time sworn officer needs of state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies nationwide.  CHRP grants go directly to law enforcement agencies to hire and/or rehire career law enforcement officers in an effort and to increase their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts.

For more information about the grants, or to learn which law enforcement agencies received funding, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov

U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek represents the 17th Congressional District of Florida which includes parts of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. He serves as the lone Florida Democrat sitting on the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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