HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSS 2021-06-21 Item 1B - Grant Application - COPS Hiring Program ($192,357 Local Match)City of Tukwila
Allan Ekberg, Mayor
INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM
TO: Community Services & Safety Committee
FROM: Eric Dreyer, Chief of Police
BY: Jake Berry, Public Safety Finance Analyst
CC: Mayor Ekberg
DATE: June 21St, 2021
SUBJECT: New Police Grants: Request for Approval/Notification
ISSUE
Pursuant to City policy, the Police Department is seeking permission to apply for a COPS grant
that requires a local match. The Department is also notifying Committee that it has applied for
another Federal grant with no matching requirement.
BACKGROUND
COPS Hiring Program Grant
The US Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) has
announced a competitive grant program with the goal of providing funding directly to law
enforcement agencies to hire and/or rehire additional career law enforcement officers to
increase their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts.
The program's goal is to further engagement in planned community partnerships,
implementation of projects to analyze and assess problems, implementation of changes to
personnel and agency management in support of community policing, and to increase capacity
of an agency to engage in community policing activities. The COPS grant would provide a
maximum of $125,000 over the three-year period with the balance of the officer's salary and
benefits to be paid by the Department. The Department must contribute either 25% of the
officer's salary and benefits or the amount not covered by the grant's allocation, whichever is
greater.
With the Committee's approval, and if awarded funding by the DOJ, the Department would use
these funds to staff the unbudgeted Community Liaison Officer position with an experienced
veteran officer and then hire a new officer to be added to Patrol's ranks. The awarded grant
funds would be used to pay the new officer's salary and benefits.
The COPS office anticipates awarding 200 of these grants nationwide. With Committee's
approval, the Department will submit the application packet on the June 22nd due date.
COPS Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Grant
The COPS office has opened a competitive grant with the purpose of funding programs that will
improve the delivery of and access to mental health and wellness services for law enforcement
officers through the implementation of peer support, training, family resources, suicide
prevention, and other promising practices for wellness programs.
The LEMHWA grant offers a maximum of $125,000 to each of the 57 grants awarded nationally
with no local matching requirement.
35
36
INFORMATIONAL MEMO
Page 2
If selected, the Tukwila Police Department plans to significantly bolster its Peer Support &
Officer Wellness program by increasing the size of the team and offering each member training
opportunities that would otherwise not be funded. The overarching goal of the program will be
to normalize Peer Support and Officer Wellness usage and to offer training to the entire Police
Department, including non-commissioned staff, to improve the emotional intelligence and
psychological well-being of every member of the Department.
Because the grant requires no local match, the application was completed and submitted prior
to its June 9th due date.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
COPS Hiring Program Grant: Since the grant will provide a maximum of $41,667 per year the
Police Department anticipates contributing approximately $64,119 per year during the three-
year term of the grant to cover the new officer's salary and benefits. If awarded the COPS
Hiring Grant, the Police Department will seek a budget amendment for the incremental funds.
COPS Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Grant: This grant requires
no local match and, if awarded, the financial impact will be minimal.
RECOM MENDATION
The Committee is being asked to approve the Department's request to apply for the COPS
Hiring Program grant.
ATTACH MENTS
None.
https://tukwilawa.sharepoint.com/sites/mayorsoffice/cc/Council Agenda Items/Police/Police Department COPS Grant InfoMemo.doc