Thursday, October 2, 2014

CONYERS HAILS NEWLY-ANNOUNCED FEDERAL EFFORTS TO ASSIST DETROIT IN FIGHTING CRIME

DETROIT - Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (MI-13) hailed two announcements by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that will assist Detroit in fighting crime.  The Justice Department has announced the selection of five cities, including Detroit, as participants in the Violence Reduction Network (VRN).  Additionally, DOJ’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office will announce the distribution of the COPS Hiring Program (CHP) grants to create and/or preserve law enforcement jobs.  Grants will be distributed to 212 different local law enforcement agencies across the country, which include ten in Michigan,  two of which are in the 13th Congressional District. 

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.
“I am pleased that the Justice Department is increasing its support for Detroit’s effort to make our communities safer.  Detroit’s participation in the Violence Reduction Network will identify new ways in which federal agencies and resources can assist the city in fighting crime,” said Rep. John Conyers, Jr.  “The COPS Program continues to provide assistance to state and local law enforcement agencies across the country, including Detroit.  I have long supported this program because it has proven to put more officers on the beat, thus resulting in job creation and safer streets.”

Through the Violence Reduction Network, the Justice Department will work in partnership with police chiefs, local partners of Detroit and the other four participating cities (Camden, NJ; Chicago, IL; Oakland/Richmond, CA; and Wilmington, DE) to develop effective approaches to reducing violence.  City leaders will have access to leading criminal justice researchers and practitioners and will exchange violence reduction best practices.  The work of the Violence Reduction Network starts today in Washington, DC at a Kickoff Summit which will include collaborative working sessions focused on analyzing each city’s violence challenges and discussing a variety of existing DOJ resources available to address the issues.  Violence Reduction Network cities will participate in regular collaborative sessions with each other and the federal partners through site visits, targeted training, technical assistance and, phone/video conferences with federal law enforcement officials and subject-matter experts.

The COPS Hiring Program provides funding to address the full-time sworn officer needs of state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies nationwide.  CHP grants go directly to law enforcement agencies to hire new and/or rehire career law enforcement officers in an effort to increase their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts.  Congressman Conyers has supported and worked to maintain the existence of the COPS Program since its inception in 1994.  Since that time, the program has funded the hiring of more than 123,000 state and local police officers and sheriff’s deputies in communities across America. 

Full list of COPS Hiring Program grants to be distributed in Michigan:

Agency Name                                 Officers Awarded                 Estimated Award Amount
Cadillac Police Department            1                                                             $125,000
Clare City Police                             1                                                            $125,000
Dearborn, City of                            4                                                            $500,000
Detroit Public Schools                    3                                                             $355,400

Department of Public Safety
Harper Woods Police Department  2                                                             $250,000
Lansing Police Department             5                                                             $625,000
Muskegon Heights, City of             1                                                            $125,000
Taylor Police Department               3                                                             $474,639
Waterford, Township of                 1                                                              $125,000
Westland, City of                            4                                                             $500,000



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