Department of Justice Awards $2.2 Million for Innovative Community Policing Projects

SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES/MONROE, La. – The Department of Justice has awarded $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. 

On July 7, 2020, the Department of Justice announced that Louisiana State University Police Department was one of the 29 law enforcement recipients selected to receive a Community Policing Development Microgrant Program grant. LSU will use the $88,229 grant to address the issue of school safety with its project, “Statewide Approach to Higher Education School Safety in Louisiana.” The project will focus on building a comprehensive approach to school safety across all public higher education institutions in Louisiana through workshops across the state.

“This grant will aid LSU as they work with educational institutions and law enforcement agencies throughout the state to improve school safety,” said David C. Joseph, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana. “I am thankful to the Department of Justice and COPS for providing these resources.”

U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “With the rising rates of academic violence, it is vital for law enforcement and school institutions to work together in pursuing effective counter-measures against these risks. This funding is a critical step in aiding LSU as they develop, refine, and improve school security and I applaud them for their proactive measures.”

“The announcement of Louisiana’s CPD Microgrants award highlights the commitment from the Department of Justice to afford our state the innovative programs they need to improve planning, information sharing and public higher education response capabilities, as well as to enhance public safety and combat crime.” said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Peter G. Strasser.

“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:

• Human Trafficking
• Meeting Rural Law Enforcement Challenges
• Officer Safety and Wellness
• Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention 
• School Safety
• Staffing and Allocation Studies
• Victim-Centered Approaches
• Violent Crime
• Youth Engagement

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. 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.

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The year 2020 marks the 150^th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.