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Press Release
PROVIDENCE – The Department of Justice today announced $2.2 million in grant funding to law enforcement agencies and stakeholders through the Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) Community Policing Development (CPD) Microgrants Program. COPS Office Director Phil Keith announced 29 awards with award amounts ranging from $15,090 to $100,000.
The Narragansett Police Department, one of just 29 law enforcement agencies in the nation selected to receive a Community Policing Development Microgrant Program Grant, will administer a $99,993 grant to bolster a regional Crisis Intervention Team shared by the Narragansett, South Kingstown, North Kingstown, Westerly, and Richmond Police Departments. The funding will be used to expand a regional, comprehensive response to citizens in Washington County dealing with mental health issues. The grant will, in part, fund a second clinician to ride along with police officers to respond to individuals in psychiatric or substance use crisis.
“I congratulate the Narragansett, South Kingstown, North Kingstown, Westerly, and Richmond Police Departments for recognizing the need to provide critical community policing programs such as the Crisis Intervention Team, and the important role that a trained medical professional can play when police officers are called upon to respond to calls involving a person in personal crisis,” said United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman.
“The CPD Microgrants Program is a critical resource to advance innovative community policing projects across the country,” said Director Keith. “These strategic investments from the COPS Office pay huge dividends to state and local law enforcement agencies and the communities that they serve.”
CPD Microgrants Program funds are used to develop the capacity of local, state, and tribal law enforcement agencies to implement community policing strategies. Applicants were invited to propose demonstration or pilot projects to be implemented in their agency that offer creative ideas to advance crime fighting, community engagement, problem solving, or organizational changes to support community policing in one of the following areas:
Funding through this program is available for the first time since 2018, following the successful removal of a nationwide injunction. These awards are being announced at a critical time for our country, when community policing strategies are very much needed to improve police and community relations.
The complete list of awards can be found here: https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/2020AwardDocs/cpdmicrogrants/Award_List.pdf. To learn more about CPD Microgrants, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/cpdmicrogrants. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Jim Martin
(401) 709-5357