Meng Hails Justice Department's Distribution of Nearly $140 Million She Helped Secure for Law Enforcement; NYC to Receive Over $8 Million

Statement

Today, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), New York's senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, applauded the Department of Justice's announcement of nearly $140 million for law enforcement hirings to help advance community policing. The grant, which the Congresswoman helped secure, will provide funding for police departments across the nation, and will provide the New York City Police Department (NYPD) with over $8 million.

"As New York's senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, I am responsible for helping fund and helping conduct oversight of federal agencies that assist with policing cities across the nation," said Congresswoman Meng. "These include agencies like the Department of Justice, helping to provide the resources our communities need to keep people safe. That is why I'm pleased about the Justice Department's announcement of a $140 million grant for police departments including $8 million specifically to the NYPD. Protecting Queens residents and all New Yorkers has to be a top priority. I thank the Department of Justice for helping provide the resources to help address crime, and look forward to continuing to help funnel federal dollars to our borough and city."

In addition, Meng helped secure the following funding earlier this year in the fiscal year 2023 Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations bill:

$716.9 million for Byrne Justice Assistance grants which would be the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to states and local government.
$543.9 million for COPS program grants, helping provide community policing policies and experts.
$175 million for STOP school Violence Act grants which seek to help institute safety measures in and around primary and secondary schools, and supports school violence prevention efforts.
$150 million for community-based violence intervention and prevention initiatives.
$110 million to strengthen the National Instant Criminal Background Check system.
Promoting justice and racial equality by providing $25 million for a new public defender improvement program and $125 million in grants for the Second Chance Act.

The Congresswoman also helped secure an additional $300 million in a bipartisan effort to help further bolster the National Night Out program across the country which includes many events in Queens each year. National Night Out aims to build and strengthen relationships with community members and police departments, with the goal of increasing crime and drug prevention awareness. Additionally, last year the Congresswoman voted for the House-passed George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which aims to address police brutality and racial injustice by banning all chokeholds, banning no-knock warrants in drug cases, and strengthening data collection efforts on body cameras and dashboard cameras.

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