​Pascrell, Menendez, Booker Announce $2.8 Million to Hire Paterson Police Officers

Press Release

Today, U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ) and U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) announced a $2.82 million federal grant award to hire 15 new police officers in the City of Paterson. The funding, from the U.S. Department of Justice's COPS Office, is part of the COPS Hiring Program (CHP), which promotes public safety through community policing.

"This essential federal funding puts 15 additional police officers on the streets of Paterson at a time when budgetary constraints make it very difficult for cities to keep police departments fully staffed. The COPS grant program was created specifically so local municipalities can have police forces that are fully staffed, well trained, and understand the communities they are serving," said Rep. Pascrell, co-chair of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus. "I'm proud to have supported this award for my hometown, and I'll continue to work to ensure Paterson receives its fair share of federal resources."

Rep. Pascrell wrote a letter in support of the grant during the application process, and also supported a $1.672 million CHP award for the City of Paterson in 2013 used to hire 10 new officers.

"These grants are critically important to expanding community policing and keeping our neighborhoods safe," said Sen. Menendez. "We have an obligation to support our local police and to protect our residents, and that's exactly why I'll continue to fight to make sure New Jersey's police departments have the resources they need to hire new officers and get the job done."

"As communities across the nation are forced to make tough budget decisions, this federal grant will bolster public safety by helping ensure New Jersey police departments are adequately staffed," said Sen. Booker. "The COPS program makes critical investments in innovating and enhancing the effectiveness of community policing, which is why I stand committed to ensuring it's fully funded."

"The city of Paterson is grateful to Rep. Bill Pascrell who tirelessly campaigned on the City's behalf and whose letters of support proved to be instrumental in securing federal assistance," said Paterson Mayor Jose Torres. "The additional police officers will help bolster the police department's community policing outreach efforts and related targeted neighborhood enforcement programs. The City of Paterson requested and received a waiver of local matching funds so the recent grant award will fully support the salary and benefits of the fifteen officers for the next three (3) years."

The COPS Hiring Program provides funding to address the full-time sworn officer needs of state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies nationwide. CHP grants go directly to law enforcement agencies to hire new and/or rehire career law enforcement officers in an effort to increase their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. This year's COPS Hiring Program 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.