Law Enforcement Grants

Public Safety Funding Still Active among SLG Customers

Now that the Homeland Security Grants are past, a number of public safety-related, non-DHS programs have been announced for the May-June time frame. They are:

COPS Tribal Resources Grant Program (TRGP) – Due June 13
Emergency Management for Higher Education Grants - Due May 27
Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Local Program – Anticipated July 2 Deadline
COPS Secure Our Schools (SOS) Grant Program – Due June 13

These programs cover general law enforcement agencies, tribes, schools, and colleges. Chances are, there’s a grant that will fit your project!
The COPS Tribal Resources Grants are provided directly to tribal law enforcement agencies for areas such as hiring additional officers, law enforcement training, uniforms, basic-issue equipment, emerging technologies, and police vehicles. All Indian tribes that have been "federally recognized" by the BIA and have established police departments are eligible to apply. The amount of funding for which an agency is eligible to apply is determined by the number of sworn officers that the agency currently employs. Tier I: Agencies with 20 or fewer officers may apply for up to $200,000; Tier II: Agencies with more than 20 officers may apply for up to $400,000. TRGP funds are for one-time purchases for allowable costs incurred during the first 24 months following the grant award start date unless an extension for additional time is granted. For more information, contact the Grants Office Helpdesk at 585-472-1430. You can find additional information on the program at www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=1428

The Emergency Management for Higher Education Grants support efforts by higher education institutions to develop, or review and improve, and fully integrate campus-based all-hazards emergency management planning efforts for higher education institutions, including coordination of planning and communication across all relevant components, offices, and departments of the campus, coordination with local and state government emergency management efforts. Eighteen awards are anticipated, ranging from $50,000 to a maximum of $500,000. Project periods are for up to 18 months. For more information, contact the Grants Office Helpdesk at 585-472-1430. You can find additional information on the program at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-8954.pdf

The Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Local Program funds are very flexible and can be used for state and local initiatives, technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and information systems for criminal justice for any one or more of JAG Program's six purpose areas: (1) law enforcement programs; (2) prosecution and court programs; (3) prevention and education programs; (4) corrections and community corrections programs; (5) drug treatment programs; and (6) planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs. Note: The FY 2008 local solicitation has not been released yet. For the FY 2007 local solicitation, applications were due July 2, 2007. A July deadline is anticipated until an actual deadline is announced. For more information, contact the Grants Office Helpdesk at 585-472-1430. You can find additional information on the program at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/jag.html

The COPS Secure Our Schools (SOS) Grant Program provides funding to local governments to assist with the development of school safety resources. This funding will allow recipients the opportunity to establish and enhance a variety of school safety equipment and/or programs to encourage the continuation and enhancement of school safety efforts within their communities. Funding under this program may be used for such things as: (1) Placement and use of metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other deterrent measures; (2) Security assessments; (3) Security training of personnel and students; (4) Coordination with local law enforcement; (5) Any other measure that may provide a significant improvement in security (including technology). Note: If applying online, the applicant must register by May 30, 2008, and applications must be postmarked or submitted online via Grants.gov on or before June 13, 2008. For more information, contact the Grants Office Helpdesk at 585-472-1430. You can find additional information on the program at www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=46 |

Give some thought to which of these programs would best fit with a project you have in the works or just call the helpdesk and we’ll work with you to figure it out!

About the author

Michael Paddock serves both as Chief Executive Officer of Grants Office, a national grant development services firm, and as Grants Columnist for the award-winning HSToday magazine. In his role at Grants Office, Mr. Paddock consults with dozens of state and local governments and international agencies on homeland security funding. He contributes regularly to a wide range of publications, and he is a featured speaker at many national conferences specializing in homeland security. Mr. Paddock served from 1996-2001 on the US Interagency Electronic Grants Committee and co-founded the New York State E-grants Project in 1999. His article “Funding the First 72 Hours” was recently accepted as a reference within the National Blueprint for Secure Communities, a joint project of the National Council on Readiness and Preparedness and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.