Conyers Fights to Preserve COPS Program

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Conyers Fights to Preserve COPS Program  

Anti-Crime Program Has Given Over $67 Million to the 14^th District

Washington, D.C. — Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) joined other Members of Congress and representatives from law enforcement organizations to criticize the plan to eliminate the successful Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program.  The bill pending in the House Appropriations Committee to fund law enforcement programs for Fiscal Year 2012 presently does not fund the COPS Program or the COPS Office in the Department of Justice which administers this program.  Since the inception of the COPS Program in 1994, Congressman Conyers’ 14^th Congressional District has received over $67 million in COPS related grants to hire police officers and sheriff deputies, hire school resource officers, and fund important crime-fighting technologies. 

“I’m fighting to preserve the COPS Program, which has greatly benefited the 14^th District by providing us over $67 million in funding since the program’s inception in 1994,” Conyers said.  “We must reaffirm our commitment to a program that hires more officers and creates jobs in addition to enhancing public safety.”

The COPS Program was initiated under the Clinton Administration and has funded the hiring of more than 122,000 state and local police officers and sheriff’s deputies in communities across America.  These days, state and local governments are facing severe economic difficulties.  Some jurisdictions are actually laying off police officers. 

#07-12-2011#