KOHL'S 2010 WISCONSIN LAW ENFORCEMENT SURVEY INDICATES BROAD SUPPORT FOR COPS PROGRAM  

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Herb Kohl today led a group of 22 Senators in an effort to include $257 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program as part of the FY2013 Commerce, Justice & Science Appropriations Bill.  In a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Commerce Justice & Science Appropriations Committee, Kohl noted the success of the COPS program as an investment both in fighting crime and providing jobs.  Kohl is a long-time proponent of the COPS program, which was created as part of the 1994 Crime Bill and has helped put more than 123,000 community police officers on the beat. 

"Police officers are often the first to arrive at the scene of a crime, but they are also out there on a daily basis talking with members of the local community and forming relationships of trust.  The stronger these relationships grow, the more the community benefits through safer streets and more stable neighborhoods," Kohl said.  

Kohl periodically surveys Wisconsin law enforcement agencies for their feedback on how the federal government can most effectively help local efforts to fight crime.  Among the findings from the 2010 survey results:

Law Enforcement Agencies' Biggest Concerns:  Respondents commonly listed six concerns that plague their agencies.  64.2% cited budget cuts as a primary concern.  63.3% listed inability to hire enough staff to properly function, 56.7% listed equipment purchase and upkeep, 39.4% listed drug abuse in their jurisdictions, 19.3% cited lack of access to grant funding and 14.8% cited lack of officer training programs.

How Federal Funds Would Help Most: It is clear that most law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin need equipment and manpower.  40.4% of respondents need federal funds in order to purchase equipment, while 39.4% would use the funds to hire additional officers.  7.7% are most in need of officer training, another 7.7% need tools to combat drugs, and 4.8% need funding for police-led school programs.

"When officers walk the beat they establish partnerships with the community which in turn gives them greater ability to solve local crime problems. They work closely with local businesses to address the crime and minimize crime risks that too often can drive businesses from distressed neighborhoods, taking with them economic opportunity," the Senators wrote. "Officers on the ground in local communities will facilitate collaboration with parents, teachers and other community members to keep at-risk youth from slipping into a life of cycling in and out of the prison system. By preventing crime from occurring in the first place, we save taxpayers the high costs associated with incarceration and victims services." 

Kohl's funding request is supported by law enforcement organizations representing nearly 500,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement officers across the nation, including the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, Fraternal Order of Police, International Union of Police Associations, Major County Chiefs' Association, Major County Sheriffs' Association, National Association of Police Organizations, National Narcotics Officers Association Coalition, National Sheriffs' Association, and National Troopers Coalition.                                                                                                   

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The full text of the letter is below:

March 23, 2012

The Honorable Barbara A. Mikulski    The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison Chairman                                        Ranking Member
Commerce, Justice & Science Subcommittee                            
Senate Appropriations Committee       
Washington, D.C. 20510                                         

Dear Chairman Mikulski and Ranking Member Hutchison:

We write in support of the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program, and request that you fund the COPS Hiring Program at a minimum of $257 million in the FY 2013 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill, the amount requested in the President's budget.  We also urge the Subcommittee to adequately fund the COPS technology grants that provide essential resources to train officers in community policing.  As you make difficult decisions about spending, please remember that that the Brookings Institution found that the COPS program to be "one of the most cost-effective options available for fighting crime."  In addition, during this time of economic rebuilding, the COPS program not only helps to make our communities safer, but also immediately puts people to work.   

Since its creation in 1994, the COPS program has put more than 123,000 community police officers on the beat.  When officers walk the beat they establish partnerships with the community which in turn gives them greater ability to solve local crime problems. They work closely with local businesses to address the crime and minimize crime risks that too often can drive businesses from distressed neighborhoods, taking with them economic opportunity.  Officers on the ground in local communities will facilitate collaboration with parents, teachers and other community members to keep at-risk youth from slipping into a life of cycling in and out of the prison system. By preventing crime from occurring in the first place, we save taxpayers the high costs associated with incarceration and victims services.   

Recently, the COPS Office has taken steps to ensure that grant recipients are practicing community policing.  For the first time last year, COPS Hiring Program applicants were required to identify a public safety problem and describe how they planned to address the problem using proven community policing strategies.  We are pleased that the COPS Office will continue the practice this year.  

The COPS program advances community policing in ways beyond hiring more officers, and those efforts need our continued support as well.  For instance, the COPS Office provides training and technical assistance to teach law enforcement officers community policing best practices.  COPS technology grants are critical for local agencies to replace obsolete technology in order to more effectively and efficiently investigate, respond to, and prevent crime.  

We are supported in this request by law enforcement organizations representing nearly 500,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement officers across the nation, including the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, Fraternal Order of Police, International Union of Police Associations, Major County Chiefs' Association, Major County Sheriffs' Association, National Association of Police Organizations, National Narcotics Officers Association Coalition, National Sheriffs' Association, and National Troopers Coalition.  

It is clear that by making a commitment to the COPS program in the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill, we will continue to help our communities reap the benefits of lower crime rates and safer communities.  Thank you for your consideration of this request.  We look forward to working with you on these important issues during the FY 2013 appropriations process.  

Sincerely,    

Herb Kohl
United States Senator

Frank Lautenberg
United States Senator

Amy Klobuchar
United States Senator

Patrick Leahy
United States Senator

Max Baucus
United States Senator

Carl Levin
United States Senator

John Kerry
United States Senator

Jay Rockefeller
United States Senator

Kent Conrad
United States Senator

Daniel Akaka
United States Senator

Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

Dick Durbin
United States Senator

Tim Johnson
United States Senator  

Maria Cantwell
United States Senator

Robert Menendez
United States Senator

Ben Cardin
United States Senator

Sheldon Whitehouse
United States Senator

Tom Udall
United States Senator

Jeff Merkley
United States Senator

Al Franken
United States Senator

Christopher Coons
United States Senator

Richard Blumenthal
United States Senator