Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson announces hiring grants that will put more police officers in South Florida schools and neighborhoods
By Gwen Belton
MIAMI, FL – Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) announced today that funding grants totaling more than $5 million have been awarded to police departments in the City of Miami Gardens, the City of Miami, the City of Opa-Locka, as well as to Miami-Dade County Public Schools Police Department to hire additional school resource and law enforcement officers. The grants were awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) to assist local law enforcement agencies, bolster their ranks, and improve community policing strategies to address critical public safety issues.
More than $125 million will be awarded nationally, including nearly $45 million to fund 356 new school resource officer positions. The grants were based on fiscal need, local crime rates and community policing plans.
In the wake of recent tragedies, the U.S. Department of Justice additionally focused on agencies requesting assistance to develop school safety programs that included hiring school resource officers.
“As our communities face increasing challenges, I am pleased that our law enforcement agencies will receive critical funding necessary to better police and protect our schools and our neighborhoods in district 24. With the proliferation of guns and illegal weapons on the streets, and Congress’s unwillingness to pass gun control legislation, our law enforcement officers must be adequately equipped to protect our citizens,” said Congresswoman Wilson.
Since 1995, COPS has awarded over $14 billion to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies nationwide. For the entire list of grantees and additional information about the 2013 COPS Hiring Program, visit the COPS website at www.cops.usdoj.gov.
