Over $2 Million, New Officers for Camden County Police Department (PATCH)
A new grant awarded by the Department of Justice was awarded to Camden County and Wildwood on Monday.
The Camden County Police Department will receive $2,187,015 and 15 new police officers thanks to a new grant awarded through the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, and Congressmen Frank LoBiondo (N.J.-02) and Donald Norcross (N.J.-01) said on Monday.
The grant also includes $750,000 and six new officers for the Wildwood Police Department, and is part of a combined $107 million nationwide in COPS Hiring Program (CHP) awards awarded on Monday.
“Today is the continuation of a promise both to law enforcement and the community. This is a promise that began on 9-11 and continues as long as we’re representing New Jersey,” Menendez said. “It’s important to make sure communities in Camden County and Wildwood have the manpower to fight violent crime and keep their streets and residents safe.”
“These funds will ensure that the police departments in Wildwood and Camden County have the essential staff they need to best serve our communities,” Booker said. “I am proud that these grants will enable more brave men and women to work to make our state safer. We will continue to fight to bring these critical funds back to our state.”
Camden has made remarkable strides reducing violent crime. This funding and the 15 new officers that it will bring to the force will make the city that much safer and improve quality of life for all our neighbors,” Norcross said.
CHP addresses the full-time sworn officer needs of state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies while advancing public safety through community policing. Jurisdictions applying for the grants were asked to identify how the CHP grants would help enhance community policing in a specific focus area; CHP provided additional consideration to jurisdictions that identified “Homicide/Gun Violence,” “Homeland Security Problems” or “Building Trust” as their focus area.
This year’s CHP grants provide 75 percent funding for approved entry-level salaries and benefits for three years (36 months) for newly-hired, full-time sworn officer positions (including filling existing unfunded vacancies) or for rehired officers who have been laid off, or are scheduled to be laid off on a future date, as a result of local budget cuts. Any additional costs above the approved entry-level salaries and fringe benefits, up to $125,000, are the responsibility of the grantee agency.