FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                    AG
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1994                                    (202) 616-0189
                                                         TDD (202) 514-1888

                                     
            CITIES GIVEN OPTION TO IMMEDIATELY HIRE NEW COPS
                  UNDER CRIME BILL "COPS AHEAD" PROGRAM

     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Attorney General Janet Reno announced
today that the Justice Department will give more than 1,600
cities the option to immediately augment their police forces
under a new crime bill initiative called the Accelerated Hiring,
Education and Deployment program (COPS AHEAD) which begins today.


     The COPS AHEAD program will provide funding to jurisdictions
with populations over 50,000 to start hiring and training a
limited number of officers while their application is pending.

     The money can be used to fund a number of new officers up to
three percent of the department's sworn force as of October 1,
1994.  Funding begins once the grant application has been
approved and the new officers have been sworn in, but departments
may begin hiring and training officer immediately.

     The COPS AHEAD program was designed to benefit communities
that are prepared to move forward in their community policing
programs.  Applicants may not compromise the quality of their
community policing strategies or reduce the scope of their
officer screening and training procedures.

     The accelerated hiring program fulfills a pledge made by
Reno to the U.S. Conference of Mayors to develop a mechanism to
expedite assistance to cities with immediate needs.  It also
underscores the Department's commitment to putting more police on
the street quickly under the crime bill.

     "If you are ready for community policing and can maintain
high recruiting and training standards, we are ready to help,"
said Reno.  "Little more than a month after the crime bill was
signed, we are cutting red tape to help put well-trained officers
on the street faster than ever before."

     Participation is voluntary, and applications must be
received by the Department no later than November 10, 1994.

     The Department will assist applicants to insure that their
applications, strategies and training programs are properly
qualified to take advantage of COPS AHEAD.

     Up to $250 million will be available to fund COPS AHEAD, out
of a total of $1.3 billion available for federal police hiring
assistance this fiscal year.  If necessary, more money may be
made available to accommodate the demand.

     Awards under COPS AHEAD will not affect a jurisdiction's
eligibility for future police hiring grants under the crime bill,
which authorized $8.8 billion for police hiring through the year
2000.  Applications for these future grants will be made
available later this fall.

     The applications for fast-track police hiring were sent
yesterday and today to more than 1,600 jurisdictions whose
populations exceed 50,000.

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