United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha joins the Justice Department today in announcing several new commitments as part of the Justice Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime. Instituted by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in May 2021, the strategy focuses on harnessing federal resources, intelligence, and expertise as a force-multiplier with state, local, and Tribal law enforcement.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta highlighted the more than $334 million in critical grant funding to law enforcement agencies and stakeholders awarded today by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office).The COPS grants announced today include funding to help law enforcement agencies hire over 1,730 new law enforcement officers across the country while also providing critical funding to support school safety and continue to advance community policing nationwide
Through this funding, U.S. Attorney Cunha announced that the Department’s COPS Office awarded a total of more than $3.3 million to Rhode Island to combat violent crime and maintain public safety.
Grant awards to Rhode Island law enforcement agencies include
- $2.5 million for the Providence Police Department to hire twenty police officers;
- $400,000 to the South Kingstown Police Department to implement Crisis Intervention Teams;
- $220,514 to fund a Providence Police Department De-Escalation Program;
- $67,500 to fund a Tiverton Police Department School Violence Prevention Program; and
- $132,518 to the Rhode Island Police Accreditation Commission to enhance existing law enforcement accreditation entities.
Complete lists of all program award recipients, including funding amounts, can be found here.
