05.31.25

Cantwell, Colleagues Urge Additional Funding to Keep Communities Safe

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined 29 Senate Democratic colleagues in urging the Senate Committee on Appropriations to fund the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program at a minimum of $270 million for Fiscal Year 2026.

In Fiscal Year 2024, six police departments in Washington state received a total of $3.75M to hire 31 police officers.

Amid a nationwide shortage of police officers, the COPS Hiring Program is critical for keeping communities safe and reducing taxpayer costs related to crime by providing funding directly to law enforcement agencies to increase their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts.

“The COPS Hiring Program represents a fiscally responsible solution to ensure that our communities remain safe. CHP provides funds directly to law enforcement agencies to hire new or rehire additional career law enforcement officers and to increase their community policing capacity and crime-prevention efforts,” the lawmakers wrote.

“When officers establish a presence on their patrols using community-policing principles, they can develop positive relationships with the communities they serve.  In turn, these relationships increase law enforcement’s ability to solve local crimes and resolve public safety problems,” the lawmakers continued. “This proactive approach to policing prevents crime from occurring, saving taxpayers the high societal costs associated with crime, incarceration, and services for victims.”

Sen. Cantwell is a longtime champion of the COPS program and the Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants (JAG) program, which help equip and enable local law enforcement to address drug trafficking.

The National Fraternal Order of Police, National Association of Police Organizations, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, and the Major Cities Chiefs Association support the Senators’ funding request.

Led by Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), the letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Tina Smith (D-MN), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mark Warner (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Ron Wyden (D-OR) Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Coons (D-DE), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

The full text of the letter can be found HERE and below:

Dear Chairman Moran and Ranking Member Van Hollen:

As you consider funding levels for Fiscal Year 2026, we urge you to fund the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program at a minimum of $270 million.

The COPS Hiring Program represents a fiscally responsible solution to ensure that our communities remain safe. CHP provides funds directly to law enforcement agencies to hire new or rehire additional career law enforcement officers and to increase their community policing capacity and crime-prevention efforts. When officers establish a presence on their patrols using community-policing principles, they can develop positive relationships with the communities they serve.  In turn, these relationships increase law enforcement’s ability to solve local crimes and resolve public safety problems.  This proactive approach to policing prevents crime from occurring, saving taxpayers the high societal costs associated with crime, incarceration, and services for victims.

To date, the COPS Office has been appropriated more than $20 billion to advance community policing including grants awarded to more than 15,000 state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 136,000 officers. In 2024, the program awarded 235 grants across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In total, the program allowed for the funding of 1193 officer positions. COPS Hiring plays an essential role in our federal government’s support for local law enforcement and should therefore receive the highest possible level of funding.

We are supported in this request by law enforcement organizations including the National Fraternal Order of Police, National Association of Police Organizations, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, and the Major Cities Chiefs Association.  We appreciate the hard work and leadership that you have shown on these issues. Ongoing crime and violence across the country demonstrates the vital need for increased police protection in our communities.  Therefore, as you determine the funding levels for this program, we ask that you support funding for the COPS Hiring Program at the highest possible level.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

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