EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The City of El Paso has received a $2.25 million federal grant to hire new police officers and support community policing efforts.
The grant was awarded through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program.
The grant will enable the El Paso Police Department to enhance public safety initiatives, reduce response times, and continue investing in programs that build trust between officers and the community, the City said in its news release.
“This investment represents a major step forward in our ongoing efforts to keep El Paso one of the safest large cities in the country,” Mayor Renard Johnson said. “We are grateful to our federal partners for their continued support and advocacy on behalf of our community. I especially want to thank Congressman Tony Gonzales and Congresswoman Veronica Escobar for their leadership and commitment to ensuring federal resources reach El Paso. Public safety remains one of my top priorities, and this funding strengthens our ability to protect and serve every resident of our city.”
The COPS Hiring Program is a competitive grant that provides funding to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to hire and rehire career law-enforcement officers and to increase their capacity for community-oriented policing.
The City cited both Gonzales and Escobar, El Paso’s two congressional representatives, with pushing for this funding.
“El Paso has consistently ranked among the safest cities in the nation and it’s thanks to our dedicated law enforcement in the region. To continue ensuring the public safety, I’m pleased to announce a new $2.25 million federal COPS grant that I helped support and fund through my role on the House Appropriations Committee,” Gonzales said. “I want to thank Mayor Johnson and Police Chief (Peter) Pacillas for their partnership on this key investment that will keep communities along the borderland safe and secure.”
Escobar added: “I’m proud to help support local law enforcement and ensure we ease the tax burden on local property owners taxpayers whenever possible. This COPS grant will help the El Paso Police Department expand its community-based initiatives, strengthen trust between officers and residents, and ensure that every person, especially our most vulnerable neighbors, can feel safe and supported. I will continue my work to secure federal funds for the programs, initiatives, and hard-working men and women who keep our community safe.”
The City of El Paso will work closely with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to implement the grant and ensure measurable, community-focused outcomes, the City said.
The City did not say how many officers they would be able to hire with the grant funding.
Read: Read More