CENTRAL FALLS, RI – Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representative David Cicilline joined Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera in announcing $1.2 million in federal funding to help the Central Falls Police Department add six more police officers to patrols and fill existing vacancies.
Administered by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office, this COPS Hiring Program (CHP) grant will help put more police officers on the streets, reduce crime, and help the city fill budget gaps. More than $139 million in grants were awarded nationally to nearly 180 law enforcement agencies across the nation. The program provides salaries and benefits for officer hires for three years.
“This federal grant will allow the Central Falls Police Department to better meet the community’s needs,” said Senator Whitehouse, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “I congratulate Mayor Rivera on securing this funding to help keep the residents of Central Falls safe.”
“Central Falls is a city on the rise and these federal funds will help it enhance public safety and prevent crime. I commend Mayor Rivera and her team for putting together a strong application to help strengthen community policing,” said Senator Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee who helped set aside $201 million for the COPS program and State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance in the appropriations law.
“I was proud to advocate for Central Falls Police Department’s application for funding through the COPS program, especially with the department’s focus on promoting diversity within its ranks and building trust and respect within the Central Falls community,” said Congressman Cicilline. “This $1.2 million will help the department boosts its prevention efforts and focus on community policing, bringing more safety and stability to the community.”
“I want to thank Senators Reed and Whitehouse, and Congressman Cicilline, for their support in securing this critical funding that will bring additional resources to the dedicated and hard-working police force in our city,” said Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera. “As mayor, public safety is a top priority. We look forward to having new officers join a force that is well respected by the residents of Central Falls and deeply committed to protecting public safety.”
The Central Falls Police Department currently has 35 sworn officers on the force.
Created under the leadership of then-U.S. Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) in 1994, the COPS Hiring Program provides funds directly to law enforcement agencies to hire, preserve, and/or rehire police officers and helps local police departments increase their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts.
The most recent federal spending package appropriated a total of $3.88 billion for grants from the U.S. Department of Justice to local and state law enforcement agencies nationwide, a 15 percent increase compared to the prior fiscal year’s bill.
Chip Unruh (Reed), 202-224-4642
Meaghan McCabe (Whitehouse), 401-453-5294
Jennifer Bell (Cicilline), 202-365-0827
