Frequently Asked Questions
Question How can I learn about current funding opportunities from the
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)?
Answer There are several ways that agencies may learn about current funding
opportunities from COPS:
- You may contact the COPS Office Response Center by email
or by telephone at 800.421.6770. Response Center Technical Assistance
Representatives can work with you to determine what funding
opportunities meet your agency’s needs.
- You may visit the COPS funding
page. This site posts new funding opportunities as they become
available. We recommend that you visit the COPS site frequently to
stay abreast of new information.
- You may monitor Grants.gov for
future COPS Office funding opportunities. Grants.gov allows agencies
to find and apply for competitive grant opportunities online. If you
are interested in COPS funding opportunities, please use the
Grants.gov search engine. To expedite your search, please enter the
COPS Office CFDA number, 16.710.
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Question What is the mailing address for the COPS Office?
Answer The COPS mailing address is:
U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
1100 Vermont Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20530
(Please use zip code 20005 for overnight delivery)
Note: The COPS Office continues to experience delays in
receiving mail sent via the U.S. Postal Service. We encourage grantees to send
time-sensitive documents using an overnight courier service (e.g., Federal
Express or UPS).
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Question Our agency
will not complete our grant before the award end date. How do we request an
extension of the grant period?
Answer Agencies requiring additional time
to expend their grant funds may request a no-cost extension. You can call the
COPS Office Response Center at 800.421.6770 to speak with your Grant Program Specialist.
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Question What is
the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number and title for COPS
grants?
Answer The CFDA number and title of all
COPS grants is:
16.710 – Public Safety Partnerships and Community Policing Grants
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Question How do
I complete my financial status report (SF269)?
Answer
COPS has developed the "Helpful
Hints Guide for Completing a Financial Status Report (SF-269A)." The
guide offers a line-by-line description of the Financial Status Report. This
information is available on the COPS website in the Common
Forms section.
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Question How do I
submit my COPS Financial Status Report (SF269)?
Answer COPS Financial Status
Reports (SF269) can now be completed online using the web-based 269 system.
Grantees may populate, review, submit, and print their SF269 reports through
a secure Internet connection. The web-based system will expedite the SF269
reporting process, eliminate duplicate data entry and provide grantees with
immediate access to historical financial reporting for their grants.
The due dates for filing the Financial Status Reports remain the same: no
later than 45 days after the last day of each reporting quarter. The web-based
269 system requires the same information as the paper version. Grantees now have
the ability to view all previous Financial Status Reports on file as well as
file and revise the report for the current fiscal quarter.
Grantees may also submit Financial Status Reports by fax to 202.616.9004
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Question I tried
drawing down funds but PAPRS is telling me that I am delinquent on my SF269. Can
you tell me what I need to do?
Answer Grantees are required to
submit a Financial Status Report (SF269) each calendar quarter following receipt
and acceptance of the grant award. Past due or inaccurate SF269s may have a
negative effect on a grantee’s ability to draw down funds. Please contact the
COPS Office Response Center at 800.421.6770 or by email
to determine the most recent SF269A on file.
Grantees may view a complete history of all Financial Status Reports
submitted for their grant through the web-based
269 system. Grantees may view and print copies of each Financial Status
Report that has been submitted through the life of the grant.
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Question I tried drawing down
funds but PAPRS is telling me that our agency has not returned the signed award
document for this grant. Our department mailed that information. What should we do?
Answer Please contact the COPS Office Response
Center at 800.421.6770 and a Technical Assistance Representative will assist in
resolving the issue. To help in this process, please have a copy of the signed
award document available when you call.
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Question How do I change our agency’s banking information?
Answer To change your organization’s banking information you must submit a new
ACH
Vendor/Miscellaneous Payment Enrollment Form to the Office of the
Comptroller Customer Service Center. A bank representative or the ACH
Coordinator of the financial institution should sign the completed form. We
recommend that you use a courier service (e.g., Federal Express or UPS)
for tracking purposes to ensure delivery to the Customer Service Center at
the following address:
Office of Justice Programs
Office of the Comptroller
Attn: Customer Service Center
810 7th Street, N.W.
5th Floor, Room 5120
Washington, DC 20001 (for overnight delivery)
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Question I am experiencing
difficulty logging into my agency’s COPS account. The system states that my
COPS Online user ID and password are invalid. How do I go about getting that information?
Answer If you lose or forget your user ID and password, contact the COPS Office
Response Center at 800.421.6770 or via email.
Please provide the following information:
- ORI
- Agency name
- Law enforcement executive name and email
- Contact person’s name and telephone number.
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Question I want to get on the COPS Online site to draw down funds, submit my
Financial Status Report, or apply for grants. The site, however, will not allow me access to those functions. What do I need to do?
Answer Three online modules are
available at this point in the development of the COPS Online site:
- Account Maintenance, which allows you to change your username or
password.
- Additional Account Maintenance, which allows you to add additional
accounts for your agency.
- Change of Information, which allows you to update your government and
law enforcement executive information.
Effective April 1, 2004, grantees can submit Financial Status Reports
(SF269A) online using the web-based 269 system.
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