BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office and Bureau of Justice Assistance recently awarded $7,256,829 to local communities and law enforcement agencies across north Alabama for law enforcement technology and community-policing initiatives.
“Local law enforcement agencies and officers are the day-to-day superheroes in our communities who keep us safe,” said United States Attorney Prim F. Escalona. “I am grateful to the Department of Justice’s COPS Office and the Bureau of Justice Assistance for this much needed support in keeping our families and communities safe.”
The recently announced awards were made through the various Department of Justice grant programs listed below:
COPS Office Community Policing Development Program
- The National Association of School Resource Officers was awarded $200,000 to provide school resource officer training
COPS Office Hiring Program
- The City of Jacksonville was awarded $125,000 to hire an additional officer
- The City of Pell City was awarded $219,850 to hire two additional officers
COPS Office Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act Implementation Program
- The City of Hartselle was awarded $25,000
COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program
- The Winston County Board of Education was awarded $499,598
COPS Office Technology and Equipment Program
- The Cullman County District Attorney’s Office (32nd Circuit) was awarded $110,000 to improve its computer technology and to purchase a law enforcement vehicle
- The City of Fort Payne was awarded $670,000 to improve its local communications and emergency-response systems
- The Jackson County Commission was awarded $250,000 for additional patrol vehicles
- Jacksonville State University was awarded $656,000 to improve campus security and communications
- The Limestone County Commission was awarded $425,000 to improve security and surveillance within the county courthouse
- The Madison County Commission was awarded $195,000 to improve security and surveillance within the county jail
- The City of Moody was awarded $245,000 to improve local emergency-communications systems
- The City of Oxford was awarded $185,000 to enhance crime-fighting resources that are networked to the East Alabama Metro Area Crime Center
- The City of Pell City was awarded $612,000 to improve emergency-communications systems with other local law enforcement and emergency-response agencies
- The Pickens County Emergency 911 Board was awarded $1,805,000 to improve local emergency systems and communications services
- St. Clair County was awarded $1,200,000 to develop a mobile command center to best prevent and respond to public safety threats and incidents
Bureau of Justice Assistance Body Worn Camera Program
- The Blount County Commission was awarded $29,996
- The City of Montevallo was awarded $4,385
The full list of FY 2024 COPS awards can be found here: https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants. Information about grant awards made through the Bureau of Justice Assistance can be found here: https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/awards/list.
For further information from the United States Attorney’s Office, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office Public Information Officer at stacy.crane@usdoj.gov.
