UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE CONGRATULATES
THE SAN FRANCISCO POLICE DEPARTMENT ON GRANT
AWARDS - EIGHTY-THREE NEW OFFICERS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) today announced grants totaling $35.2 million to hire 258 additional law enforcement officers to work in the nation's schools.  These grants go to 73 law enforcement agencies from cities and towns in 30 states.  The San Francisco Police Department was awarded the second highest grant in the country totaling $4,125,000 to hire 33 new police officers.  Notably, this is the second major grant awarded by the United States Department of Justice to the San Francisco Police Department within the last month.  On August 19, 2004, the SFPD was awarded the largest grant in the country of $3,750,000 to hire 50 new police officers to be designated as community policing officers.

The Department of Justice through United States Attorney Kevin V. Ryan join in congratulating the San Francisco Police Department for receiving these unprecedented grant awards for community policing on our streets and in our schools.  "These generous awards enabling the San Francisco Police Department to hire 83 new police officers highlight the strong partnerships established between the San Francisco Police Department and federal law enforcement in our continuing effort to combat and prevent violent crime in San Francisco," said U.S. Attorney Kevin V. Ryan.

Today's grants were awarded under the COPS in Schools program, which funds the hiring of community policing officers to work in schools.  The grants provide up to $125,000 to pay for the salary and benefits of each new officer over three years.  COPS also provides school safety training for the officer and an administrator from the school to which the officer will be assigned.

These officers are known as School Resource Officers (SRO), and are sworn law enforcement officers who become assigned permanently to a school or school system.  While the specific activities of a SRO are determined by the unique needs of the school and the community they serve, their primary role is to safeguard students by providing a law enforcement presence on campus.  Many SROs also teach crime prevention and substance abuse classes, serve as coaches, monitor and counsel troubled students, and ultimately build respect and understanding between law enforcement and students.

Including today's grants, the COPS in Schools program has provided over $747.5 million to fund and train more than 6,567 SROs nationwide.