The City of Columbia is extremely excited to announce that the Columbia Police Department has received the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) COPS Hiring Program Grant. The grant is administered by the DOJ’s COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) office which has invested over $20 Billion in law enforcement since its establishment in 1994. The COPS Hiring Program Grant or CHP is designed to reduce crime and advance public safety through common sense community policing by providing direct support to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies nationwide. CHP funding is intended to support the hiring of career law enforcement officers to increase an agency’s community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts.
For the Columbia Police Department, the grant will be utilized to hire a recruit and complete training under the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice (DOCJT). Then continue with the department with salary and all connected expenses being covered for three years under the grant. Chief Evan Burton had this to say about the grant, “This grant will improve officer safety as well as community safety with greater law enforcement presence as well as give someone an opportunity to begin their career in law enforcement. The recruit that this grant will allow for will follow in the footsteps of all current CPD officers by attending DOCJT training and then begin their service to the citizens of Columbia. I would like to thank all entities and individuals that contributed to the achievement of this grant.” Mayor Hoots also had this to say, “I am extremely thankful that the city has received this grant to further provide for the needs of the residents of our community.”
The COPS office received a total of 615 applications for the CHP Grant and awarded 228 to law enforcement agencies all across the country including CPD. The City of Columbia and the Columbia Police Department are extremely fortunate and proud to have been chosen to receive this grant award and look forward to implementing it to better serve our citizens! Anyone interested please be watching for a notice from the City and CPD regarding a coming opening.
(Trey Stephens, Assistant to the Mayor – City of Columbia)