Kagen Welcomes Recovery Act Funding For Law Enforcement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:        
July 29, 2009

Contact:  Jake Rubin
(202) 225-5665

(WASHINGTON, D.C.)  Congressman Steve Kagen, M.D. is bringing our tax dollars back to Wisconsin – creating jobs through putting cops on the street.  Earlier today, Vice President Joseph Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder announced $1 billion in grants to fund the hiring and rehiring of law enforcement officers under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  In the 8th Congressional District:

“We have taken action to put our nation on the road to economic recovery.  Everyone understands these actions will take time to succeed.  We are moving in the right direction – creating and protecting jobs through making our communities safer,” said Kagen.

The funding provides much needed support to state and local government budgets, and will help the nation’s law enforcement agencies add and retain the manpower needed to fight crime more effectively through community policing.

The grants will be administered by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) through the federal agency’s COPS Hiring Recovery Program.  The grants will provide 100 percent of the approved salary and benefits for entry level officer positions over a three year period.  Police departments receiving the grants will then be required to retain the grant funded positions for a fourth year.

In March, Wisconsin received over $30 million in Recovery Act funding through the Department of Justice through the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program which allows states and local governments to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime and to improve the criminal justice system.  The Wisconsin Office of Recovery and Reinvestment has determined that individuals and households in counties in the 8th Congressional District will receive approximately $222,130,084 in Recovery Act tax relief.