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Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jerry McNerney sent a second letter urging the Department of Justice to fund the Stockton Police Department’s application for funds made available from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, commonly known as the stimulus package.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allocated up to $1 billion in competitive grant funding to the COPS Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP). CHRP grants are intended to provide 100 percent funding for approved entry-level salaries and benefits for three years for new officer hires or for rehiring officers who have been laid off or are scheduled to be laid off.
In response to a recent decision by the Department of Justice to cap available funds based on size of police force, Congressman McNerney’s letter asks the Department of Justice to thoroughly consider Stockton’s particular need for funds.
The text of the letter Rep. McNerney sent is below:
July 1, 2009
Attorney General Eric Holder
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
Dear Attorney General Holder:
I recently learned that the Department of Justice informed the City of Stockton that if any stimulus funds are made available from the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Recovery Program, it will provide funding for no more than 20 officers. I also understand that at this point in time, the Department of Justice has not made a decision as to whether Stockton will receive any funding at all.
I was also informed by your office that the decision to cap available funding reflects the Department’s prioritization of resources for large cities, a choice that comes at the expense of communities like Stockton. I am writing to express my deep disappointment in the Department’s decision and to urge you to quickly provide the maximum amount of available funding to Stockton, which faces a shortfall of several dozen officers.
Stockton has suffered tremendously during this economic downturn, and problems such as a high rate of foreclosures have been compounded by a high crime rate. Stockton’s residents can ill-afford to lose a substantial number of police officers. Stockton’s police officers perform heroically, but a reduced police force will be less able to serve the city’s needs. Although Stockton is a medium-size city, it suffers from the second-highest rate of violent crime in California and the eighth-highest in the nation.
Stockton’s residents deserve the same level of public safety as those in larger cities. I would like to know how the COPS program came to the decision to distribute funding based on sworn police force size, and whether or not other factors such as crime rate were considered prior to instituting the funding cap.
Although predominantly supported by local revenue, federal funding for law enforcement is important to quality of life, economic well-being, and public safety in Stockton. I urge you to consider Stockton’s unique needs when evaluating its application and to recognize the importance of an adequately staffed police force for its future. I also strongly encourage you, or a senior representative from the Department of Justice, to visit Stockton to see firsthand the importance of continued support for the city’s public safety programs.
I appreciate your consideration of this letter, and I urge you to provide as much funding to Stockton as possible. Please do not hesitate to contact me or Shilpa Rajan of my staff at (202) 225-1947 if you have any questions. I look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
Jerry McNerney
Member of Congress
Cc: Tim Quinn, Acting Director of the COPS program
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