[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 118 (Tuesday, June 20, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32166-32167]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-14988]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------


DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, COPS Universal 
Hiring Program

AGENCY: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, Department of 
Justice.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented 
Policing Services (``COPS'') announces the availability of grants to 
hire and/or rehire additional sworn law enforcement officers to engage 
in community policing. The COPS Universal Hiring Program permits 
interested agencies to supplement their current sworn forces or to 
establish a new law enforcement agency. Eligible applicants include 
State, local, and Indian law enforcement agencies, as well as 
jurisdictions seeking to establish a new law enforcement agency and 
other agencies serving specialized jurisdictions, such as transit, 
housing, college, school, or natural resources. Agencies that have 
received funds through COPS AHEAD or COPS FAST need not submit a new 
application for additional officers under the COPS Universal Hiring 
Program. The COPS Office will contact those grantees separately to 
determine their need for additional resources through this program.

DATES: COPS Universal Hiring Program Application Kits will be available 
on or about June 10, 1995. There will be three application deadlines 
for the Universal Hiring Program: July 31, 1995, for Round 1; October 
15, 1995, for Round 2; and March 15, 1996, for Round 3. Funding for 
Rounds 2 and 3 is subject to future Congressional appropriations. 
Applications not funded in Rounds 1 and 2 will be carried over to 
subsequent rounds.

ADDRESSES: COPS Universal Hiring Program Application Kits will be 
mailed to all eligible agencies or may be obtained by writing to COPS 
Universal Hiring Program, 1100 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 
20530, or by calling the Department of Justice Crime Bill Response 
Center, (202) 307-1480 or 1-800-421-6770. Completed COPS Universal 
Hiring Program Application Kits should be sent to COPS Universal Hiring 
Program, COPS Office, 1100 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20530.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:The Department of Justice Crime Bill 
Response Center, (202) 307-1480 or 1-800-421-6770.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Violent Crime Control and Law 
Enforcement Act of 1994 (Pub. L. 103-322) authorizes the Department of 
Justice to make grants for the hiring or rehiring of law enforcement 
officers to engage in community policing. The COPS Universal Hiring 
Program permits interested agencies to supplement their 
[[Page 32167]] current sworn forces or to establish a new law 
enforcement agency, through grants for up to three years. All law 
enforcement agencies, as well as jurisdictions considering establishing 
new law enforcement agencies, are eligible to apply for this program. 
In addition, law enforcement agencies serving specialized 
jurisdictions, such as transit, housing, college, school, natural 
resources, and others, are eligible to apply for this program.
    Agencies which had submitted letters of intent or initial 
applications under COPS AHEAD or COPS FAST, but were not approved for 
funding, will need to submit an application under the COPS Universal 
Hiring Program because the COPS Office has not had an opportunity to 
review the community policing plans of these agencies. Agencies which 
have received grants through the COPS AHEAD or COPS FAST program do not 
need to submit a new application to be eligible for funding through the 
COPS Universal Hiring Program. These grantees will be contacted 
separately by the COPS Office to determine their need for additional 
resources through this program.
    There are three application deadlines for this program: July 31, 
1995, for Round 1; October 15, 1995, for Round 2; and March 15, 1995, 
for Round 3. Funding for Rounds 2 and 3 are subject to future 
Congressional appropriations. Departments may apply before any one of 
the deadlines and equal consideration will be given to applications in 
any round. Applications which are not funded in Round 1 or 2 will be 
carried over to subsequent rounds.
    All applicants will be asked to provide basic community policing 
and planning information for their area of jurisdictions. In addition, 
new applicants serving jurisdictions of 50,000 and over, as well as all 
those jurisdictions seeking to establish a department and agencies 
serving specialized jurisdictions (such as transit, housing, college, 
school, or natural resources), will be asked to provide additional 
information relating to the applicant's community policing plan, local 
community policing initiatives and strategies, local community support 
for the applicant's community policing plans, and plans for retaining 
the officers at the end of the grant period. In addition to the 
requested community policing information, all applicants will be asked 
to submit a streamlined budget summary containing information relating 
to planned hiring levels, salary and fringe benefits, and decreasing 
federal share requirements. The COPS Universal Hiring Program 
Application offers two alternative budget worksheets which are tailored 
to the number of officers requested by each applicant; applicants 
requesting five or fewer officers will complete one budget worksheet 
for each officer, while applicants requesting more than five officers 
will complete a single budget worksheet based on the average yearly 
cost per officer.
    Grants will be made for up to 75 percent of the total entry-level 
salary and benefits of each officer over three years, up to a maximum 
of $75,000 per officer, with the remainder to be paid by state or local 
funds. Waivers of the non-federal matching requirement may be requested 
under this program, but will be granted only upon a showing of 
extraordinary fiscal hardship. Grant funds may be used only for entry-
level salaries and benefits. Funding will begin once the new officers 
have been hired or on the date of the award, whichever is later, and 
will be paid over the course of the grant.
    In hiring new officers with a COPS Universal Hiring Program grant, 
grantees must follow standard local recruitment and selection 
procedures. All personnel hired under this program will be required to 
be trained in community policing. In addition, all personnel hired 
under this program must be in addition to, and not in lieu of, other 
hiring plans of the grantees.
    An award under the COPS Universal Hiring Program will not affect 
the eligibility of an agency for a grant under any other COPS program.

    Dated: June 8, 1995.
Joseph E. Brann,
Director.
[FR Doc. 95-14988 Filed 6-19-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-01-M