Washington - US Senator Menendez (D-NJ) joined the New Jersey State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police's (FOP) 2012 Mini-Convention in Atlantic City today to talk about the importance of securing funding for critical law enforcement efforts to combat crime and enhance our communities' safety. Senator Menendez is the sponsor of the Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act of 2011 which would provide $4 billion in funding for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program to hire more than 10,000 police officers.

Last week, Menendez again led the effort in the Senate to urge continued support for these vital programs in this year's budget. Menendez sent a bipartisan letter signed by 27 other Senators including Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Scott Brown (R-MA), to the Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The letter requests $257.1 million in funds for the COPS Hiring Program and $430 million for the Byrne JAG Program. This is the same level of funding requested in President Obama's budget. These programs provide critical funding to local communities to help localities rehire police officers who have been laid off and to prevent additional layoffs.

In 2011, Senator Menendez and 18 other Senators helped secure $166 million for the COPS Hiring Program, after the House of Representatives had voted to defund the program earlier last year. Congress also provided $470 million for the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program for FY 2012.

Menendez said "We must use every tool available to ensure that state and local law enforcement have the resources necessary to effectively and efficiently fight crime. These programs would ensure that these difficult economic times do not imperil our communities' safety."

FUNDING REQUEST BREAKDOWN BY TYPE OF PROGRAM

The Menendez letter requests $257.1 million for the COPS Hiring program, the level requested in President Barack Obama's budget. In FY 2011, 2,700 communities nationwide applied to fund 9,000 officers for a total of $2 billion in requested funding. With $243 million in grant funds, 238 communities received funding to hire, preserve, or rehire 1,021 law enforcement officers. In FY 2011, $20.8 million in COPS Hiring grants were awarded to 12 New Jersey towns which allowed the rehiring of 78 police officers.

The Menendez letter requests $430 million for the Byrne JAG program, the level requested in President Obama's budget. This program provides funding to combat drug and gang violence, reduce recidivism, and enhance drug treatment and enforcement programs. In FY 2011, the program distributed over $368 million to states and localities, with direct grants to almost 1,500 local jurisdictions. In FY 2011, New Jersey received $5,942,861 in Byrne JAG state formula funds to help New Jersey law enforcement.

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