Long Branch, NJ – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) and Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) hosted a virtual grants workshop today with representatives from the Department of Justice to highlight federal funding opportunities to hire local police officers and prevent violence in schools.
During the event, training and technical assistance staff from the Department of Justice joined local elected officials, school leaders, and local law enforcement professionals to provide information about federal grant opportunities, summarized guidance on how to apply for grants, and answered questions from participants.
“We all have a responsibility to keep our communities and schools safe. I convened this event with Congressman Kim to help our local leaders learn about the funding opportunities designed to help prevent violence in our schools and to hire more police in our communities,” Pallone said. “I’m grateful to everyone who attended this important event. When we work together, we can prevent violence in our communities and make them stronger.”
“I want to thank Chairman Pallone for partnering with me and helping to connect school administrators and local police and public safety officials with the Department of Justice to provide valuable resources and grant opportunities to help keep our schools and communities safe,” said Kim. I also want to thank David Adams and Shannon Long for joining us and providing such a helpful webinar. I hope more organizations In Burlington and Ocean counties consider applying for these grants and encourage them to reach out to our office if we can help in any way.”
A historic $10 billion in American Rescue Plan funds have been committed to public safety. Along with ongoing state and local support from the Justice Department, the American Rescue Plan investments made in 2021 are among the largest single-year commitments of federal resources for state and local law enforcement and public safety on record. Before the American Rescue Plan passed, a survey found that 27% of mayors anticipated making significant cuts to their police budgets and services. The American Rescue Plan has enabled these local leaders to shore up their budgets and invest in public safety. Unfortunately, every Republican in Congress voted against the American Rescue Plan public safety funding for cities and rural counties across the country.
In 2022, Representatives Pallone and Kim voted for a new law that invests $35.2 billion in the Department of Justice, which is a $1.4 billion increase over the prior year. This new funding includes:
●$3.9 billion in grants to state and local law enforcement, an increase of $506.4 million over last year.
●$674.5 million is for the Byrne-JAG program, which helps law enforcement agencies in New Jersey, strengthens the criminal justice system, and bolsters services for victims of crime. Within Byrne-JAG, $382 million will go to support state and local criminal justice systems, an increase of $22 million.
●$512 million was included for COPS Hiring grants, which supports state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies’ ability to hire, preserve and/or rehire law enforcement officers and increases community policing efforts.
●$50 million for a new Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative.
●$300 million in new community projects to fight crime and improve public safety in communities across the country.
Anyone who has questions about how to apply for federal grant opportunities can call the offices of Congressman Pallone directly or click here.
Original source can be found here.
