Meek Votes to Put 50,000 More Cops on the Nation's Streets on National Peace Officers' Memorial Day

Florida is likely to hire 3187 additional police officers over the next six years

 

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek joined a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives to pass the COPS Reauthorization Act. This measure is designed to help local law enforcement agencies hire an additional 50,000 police officers on the beat over the next six years. Florida’s share is an estimated 3187 additional police officers over the next six years.

The bill, H.R. 1700, passed the House by a vote of 381 to 34.

"The COPS program is vital to communities throughout the Florida in fighting gang violence and making our neighborhoods safe," said Meek, a former Captain in the Florida Highway Patrol. "This legislation will strengthen local law enforcement agencies that serve on the frontlines safeguarding our neighborhoods, schools, and community centers. This legislation will strengthen our hand in the fight against crime," Meek said.

The COPS hiring grants program, created under the Clinton Administration in 1994, was an enormously successful and popular program. From 1995 to 2005, COPS helped local law enforcement agencies hire 117,000 additional police officers across the county. Florida alone received over 500 million dollars in COPS hiring grants funding, which enabled the state to hire an additional 7458 police officers.

Under President Bush and the Republican-led Congress, funding for the COPS hiring grants were reduced from more than $1 billion a year in the late 1990s to $198 million in 2003 and $10 million in 2005. In 2006, the Republican-led Congress completely eliminated the program.

According to one study, between 1998 and 2000, COPS hiring grants were responsible for reducing crimes by about 200,000 to 225,000 – one third of which were violent. Earlier this year, the Police Executive Research Forum, a prominent law enforcement association, released a report which found that violent crimes rose by double digit percentage points over the last two years when funding was reduced or eliminated.

The COPS bill was endorsed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Sheriffs Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, the National Association of Police Organizations, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the National League of Cities.

Congressman Kendrick B. Meek (D-FL) represents the 17th Congressional District which includes parts of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. He serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee.

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