Golden, Rice, Spanberger, Herrera Beutler Lead Bipartisan Bill to Dramatically Increase Recruiting, Training Grants for Local Law Enforcement

Statement

Today, Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02), along with Representatives Tom Rice (SC-07), Abigail Spanberger (VA-07), and Jaime Herrera-Beutler (WA-03), announced the introduction of the bipartisan COPS on the Beat Grant Program Reauthorization and Parity Act of 2021. The legislation would nearly triple available funding for the COPS grant program to over $1 billion in FY2022, reauthorize the program for ten years, and specifically expand access to the grants for rural communities.

Since the program's establishment in 1994, the COPS Grant Program has awarded more than $14 billion to local law enforcement agencies to hire and train officers for community policing. However, funding for the program has been cut significantly since 2011. Golden and Rice's bill would reauthorize the program with $7 billion in new funding for the next decade.

"Working in law enforcement has always been a demanding job, but right now we ask more of our officers than ever before," said Golden. "We need to do more to help departments -- particularly in rural areas -- recruit, hire, and train more officers. In Maine, many of our rural communities are experiencing a serious and sustained shortage of officers, which affects public safety, emergency response, and peace of mind in towns across the state. This bipartisan bill is designed to help address this problem and will nearly triple the COPS grant funding available for departments. I'm proud to work across the aisle with Reps. Rice, Spanberger, and Herrera Beutler to support law enforcement."

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