DOJ giving $139M to police departments to hire 1,000 new officers

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is giving $139 million to police departments to hire more than 1,000 new officers. 

The DOJ announced Thursday it will give 183 law enforcement agencies direct funding for more officers and other needs the departments have. 

The funds will allow 1,066 officers to be hired around the country, with departments also using the money for building community relations, addressing gun violence, combating hate and domestic extremism and training for police responses to people in crisis. 

“We are committed to providing police departments with the resources needed to help ensure community safety and build community trust,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said. “The grants we are announcing today will enable law enforcement agencies across the country to hire more than 1,000 additional officers to support vitally important community oriented policing programs.”

The money is funded through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services COPS Hiring Program. 

The office has given more than $14 billion since its beginning in 1994 to help local law enforcement agencies police communities better.

The announcement from the DOJ comes as President Biden signed three bipartisan bills providing additional resources for police. 

The bills address mental health programs for police, ensuring prompt benefits for those injured on the job and establishing those who try to kill U.S. federal law enforcement and employees abroad can be prosecuted in the U.S.