FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                    AG
SEPTEMBER 16, 1994                                           (202) 616-2771
                                                                           
        AG RENO ATTENDS POLICE OFFICER SWEARING-IN WHILE IN PHOENIX
                Force Gets New Officers Thanks To DOJ Award

     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- During her visit to Phoenix today,
Attorney General Janet Reno will help Police Chief Dennis Garrett
swear in eight new community officers hired from a Department of
Justice grant Phoenix received under the Police Hiring Supplement
Program.  The more than $2 million award will eventually add a
total of 28 new officers to the Phoenix force.

     The event will be held at:

                                  3 p.m.
                           Friday, September 16
                   Phoenix Police Department, 4th Floor
                          Chief's Conference Room
                             620 W. Washington
                                  Phoenix

     Mayor Williams, Senator DeConcini, Representative
Coppersmith and others will participate in the event.

     After the swearing-in ceremony, Reno will be available to
the press for a few minutes.

     Last year, Congress appropriated $150 million for a Police
Hiring Supplement to assist cities in adding community police
officers.  The Justice Department received more than 2,000
applications from communities across the country, and
approximately 250 cities were awarded funding, including Phoenix.
More than 2,000 officers were funded through the supplement,
which was considered a down payment on President Clinton's pledge
to put an additional 100,000 community police officers on the
streets.

     The recently passed Crime Bill contains $8.8 billion in
funding for additional community police officers and Phoenix will
be able to apply for money under this program as well.

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