WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced that Virginia will receive $875,000 in U.S. Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants to fund law enforcement jobs and expand community policing and crime prevention initiatives. The City of Bristol will be awarded $375,000 to fund three officers and the Harrisonburg Police Department will be awarded $500,000 to fund four officers.

“We’re very pleased that Bristol and Harrisonburg have been awarded federal funds to advance public safety and crime prevention,” Sen. Warner said. “Senator Kaine and I will continue to work to make sure Virginia communities have the resources they need to apply new personnel to issues related to violent crime, school safety, and building trust within the community.”  

“We’re proud to announce this significant investment in the safety of Virginia communities,” Kaine said. “This federal funding will help ensure local law enforcement agencies have the resources to serve the cities of Bristol and Harrisonburg through community policing and crime prevention.”

The funds, which will be awarded through the COPS Hiring Program, go directly to law enforcement agencies to hire new, or rehire, career law enforcement officers in an effort to increase community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts.  The federal grants cover 75 percent of funding for entry-level salaries and benefits for three years.