WALZ VOTES TO PUT MORE COPS ON THE STREETS OF SOUTHERN MINNESOTA

05/15/2007

(Washington, DC) - Today, as Americans recognize National Police Week and National Peace Officers Memorial Day, Rep. Tim Walz will join a bipartisan majority of his colleagues in supporting H.R. 1700, the COPS Improvement Act of 2007.

The COPS bill was originally authorized in 1994 and is designed to help local law enforcement agencies hire an additional 50,000 police officers over the next six years.

"I'm proud to support this program, which is vitally important to communities in southern Minnesota," said Rep. Walz. "Under the Republican Congress, funding for the COPS program was consistently cut back and last year, appropriations for the hiring grants were completely eliminated."

Under the COPS program, local law enforcement agencies may apply for funding to hire additional police officers or to purchase technology and equipment. Rep. Walz is a cosponsor of H.R. 1700, which authorizes $600 million a year for COPS hiring grants. It also authorizes $350 million a year for COPS technology grants and $200 million a year for hiring community prosecutors.

"From 1995 to 2005, the COPS program helped local law enforcement agencies in Minnesota hire over 1400 additional officers, which led to a significant reduction in crime," noted Walz. "It is vitally important that we reauthorize and fund this grant program which will help southern Minnesota combat everything from truancy in our schools to meth in our communities."

The following information includes statistics about the COPS program's importance to Minnesota's First Congressional District and the projected benefits for Minnesota's 1st Congressional District if the program is fully funded over the next six years.

Officers and Deputies

Since 1994, 144 additional police officers and/or sheriff deputies have been hired in the 1st District of Minnesota.

If the C.O.P.S. Improvement Act of 2007 passes into law, 62 more police officers will likely be put on the beat.

Funding

Since 1994, $9,739,098 in C.O.P.S. grants have been awarded to law enforcement agencies in the 1st District of Minnesota.

If the C.O.P.S. Improvement Act of 2007 passes into law, an additional $2,971,250 will likely flow to the 1st District of Minnesota.

School Resource Officers

Since 1994, 10 additional police officers and/or sheriff deputies have been hired in the 1st District of Minnesota.

If the C.O.P.S. Improvement Act of 2007 passes into law, 4 more school resource officers will likely be put on the beat.

Technology Grants

Since 1994, $1,303,592 in C.O.P.S. grants have been awarded to law enforcement agencies in the 1st District of Minnesota to purchase technology that enables agencies to put more officers on the beat.

If the C.O.P.S. Improvement Act of 2007 passes into law, an additional $397,706 in technology grants will likely flow to the 1st District of Minnesota.