$1 Billion in ARRA Funds Awarded to COPS; Big Cities Left Out

Washington, July 28 – Several major cities, including New York City, Houston and Las Vegas, will not receive Recovery Act funding from the $1 billion awarded today under the Community Oriented Policing Services Hiring Recovery Program.

Earlier today, Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder announced the recipients of the grant funding that will go toward hiring and rehiring 4,699 law enforcement officers for three years. The grants, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, will go to 1,046 law enforcement agencies from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico. The police departments receiving the initial funding will have to retain the grant-funded officers for a fourth year at their own expense.