[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 232 (Thursday, December 3, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66816-66818]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-32213]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE


Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; FY 1999 Community 
Policing Discretionary Grants

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented 
Policing

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Services (``COPS'') announces the Visiting Fellowship Program (VFP) 
designed to support training, technical assistance, research, program 
development and policy analysis to contribute to the use and 
enhancement of community policing to address crime and related problems 
in communities across the country.
    The VFP is intended to offer researchers, policing professionals, 
community leaders, and policy analysts an opportunity to undertake 
independent research, problem development activities, and policy 
analysis designed to advance community policing in a variety of ways.
    Two types of fellowships are available: Community Policing Training 
and Technical Assistance Fellowships, and Program/Policy Support and 
Evaluation (PPSE) Fellowships.
    Community Policing Training and Technical Assistance Fellowships 
will offer police practitioners and community leaders the opportunity 
to participate in a community policing training program that is 
national in scope. PPSE Fellowships will offer police practitioners, 
researchers, and policy analysts the opportunity to support innovative 
community policing programs, to engage in activities to assess the 
effectiveness of community policing approaches, and to apply policy 
analysis skills to support the advancement of community policing 
nationwide.
    Visiting fellows will study a topic of mutual interest to the 
Fellow and the COPS Office for up to 12 months. Residency in 
Washington, DC, is not required, but visits to the COPS Office are 
encouraged.

DATES: The application deadline is March 1, 1999. Application kits will 
be available mid-December.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of an application or for more information, 
call the U.S. Department of Justice Response Center at (202) 307-1480 
or 1-800-421-6770. Application kits will be available mid-December and 
will also be posted on the COPS Office web site at http://
www.usdoj.gov/cops.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The U.S. Department of Justice 
Response Center, (202) 307-1480 or 1-800-421-6770, or the COPS web site 
at: http://www.usdoj.gov/cops.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Overview

    The United States Department of Justice, Office of Community 
Oriented Policing Services (COPS) has been charged with the 
implementation of the Public Safety Partnerships and Community Policing 
Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd). Under this law, the COPS Office 
provides grants, cooperative agreements, and technical assistance to 
increase police presence, improve police and community partnerships 
designed to address crime and disorder, and enhance public safety. The 
VFP, which complements the COPS Office's efforts to add 100,000 
officers to our nation's streets and support innovative community 
policing, is one of a wide variety of policing programs supported under 
this law.
    The VFP is intended to offer researchers, policing professionals, 
community leaders, and policy analysts an opportunity to undertake 
independent research, problem development activities, and policy 
analysis designed to advance community policing in a variety of ways.
    Two types of fellowships are available: Community Policing Training 
and Technical Assistance Fellowships and Program/Policy Support and 
Evaluation (PPSE) Fellowships.
    Community Policing Training and Technical Assistance Fellowships 
will offer police practitioners and community leaders the opportunity 
to participate in a community policing training program that is 
national in scope. Fellows will work to broaden their knowledge of a 
training area that is directly related to community policing. The 
experience is intended to encourage the further development, 
enhancement, or renewed exploration of a particular training expertise 
that supports community policing. Fellows will deliver this expertise 
innovatively as well as provide technical assistance to others. Under 
Community Policing Training and Technical Assistance Fellowships, 
Fellows may pursue initiatives designed to: (1) improve police-citizen 
cooperation and communication; (2) enhance police relationships within 
the criminal justice system, as well as at all levels of local 
government; (3) increase police and citizens' ability to innovatively 
solve community problems; (4) facilitate the restructuring of agencies 
to allow the fullest use of departmental and community resources; (5) 
promote the effective flow and use of information both within and 
outside of an agency; and/or (6) improve law enforcement responsiveness 
to members of the community.
    PPSE Fellowships will offer police practitioners, researchers, and 
policy analysts the opportunity to support innovative community 
policing programs, to engage in activities to assess the effectiveness 
of community policing approaches, and to apply policy analysis skills 
to support the advancement of community policing nationwide. The 
experience is intended to encourage the further development, 
enhancement, or renewed exploration of program, policy, and evaluation 
issues that support community policing. This work will be shared with 
policy makers and practitioners through a variety of forums. Under PPSE 
Fellowships, Fellows may pursue a wide variety of initiatives. Topic 
areas of particular interest to the PPSE Division include, but are not 
limited to, the following goals: (1) improve the ability of policing 
agencies and community organizations to collect different types of 
information that will aid in collaborative problem solving efforts; (2) 
enhance current knowledge of how policing agencies evolve while 
implementing community policing; (3) enhance current knowledge about 
how various policing agencies utilize information technology to support 
crime reduction and community policing efforts; and/or (4) enhance 
current knowledge of or improve the ability of policing agencies to 
implement community policing and problem solving in other ways.
    Visiting Fellows will study a topic of mutual interest to the 
Fellow and the COPS Office for up to 12 months. Residency in 
Washington, DC, is not required, but visits to the COPS Office are 
encouraged.
    Grants or cooperative agreements under the VFP may support salary, 
fringe benefits, travel essential to the project, and miscellaneous 
supplies or equipment in support of the project. Reasonable costs for 
research assistants or support staff will also be considered. 
Reasonable relocation expenses and the cost of temporary housing also 
may be permitted in cases of relocation from a Fellow's permanent 
address.
    Under the VFP, the COPS Office may award grants or enter into 
cooperative agreements with individuals, public agencies, colleges or 
universities, nonprofit organizations, and profit-making organizations 
willing to waive their fees.
    Receiving a grant or cooperative agreement under the VFP will not 
affect the eligibility of an agency to receive awards under other COPS 
programs.
    The selection process is expected to be highly competitive.

    The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) reference for 
this program is 16.710.


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    Dated: November 25, 1998.
Joseph E. Brann,
Director.
[FR Doc. 98-32213 Filed 12-2-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-AT-M