DOJ awards $16 million to advance community policing, a top demand of police reform advocates

Kaylee Greenlee, DCNF

Around $8 million will go to advance community policing in law enforcement and another $8.5 million to active shooter scenario training for first responders, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

Community Policing Development (CPD) funds go towards providing law enforcement officers with education on effective practices and outcomes and working on creative crime prevention, the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) announced.

“One of the top priorities of the Department of Justice is to keep communities safe from violent crime,” COPS Office Director Phil Keith said, according to the DOJ.

“The two grant programs announced today will promote promising best practices to advance community policing, which is a proven public safety approach, and provide much-needed training against active shooters, which remain a constant threat to the citizens of this great country,” he added.

For more information about our Community Policing Development (CPD) program, visit: https://t.co/bOQgWlDFaO

For more information about our Preparing for Active Shooter SItuations (PASS) program, visit: https://t.co/SGF26dWXyG https://t.co/w55wM5yjtm

— COPS Office (@COPSOffice) September 9, 2020

Proponents of the defund the police movement have advocated for police funds to be reallocated toward community-led initiatives, CNN reported.

Some Democrats have called for more community-based policing as they navigate police department reforms. Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order in June mandating “localities to develop a new plan for policing in the community based on fact-finding and meaningful community input,” according to a press release.

The DOJ awarded another $8.5 million to allow first responders to experience scenario-based active shooter training through the Preparing for Active Shooter Situations (PASS) program, according to the COPS Office.

Around 53,000 first responders have been trained nationwide by the PASS program since 2017, according to the COPS Office. The newly allocated $8.5 million will reportedly provide training for around 20,000 first responders.

Over $14 billion has reportedly been put towards community policing advancement since 1994, according to the COPS Office.

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