Department of Justice providing funding to local law enforcement agencies to hire additional officers

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.- The U.S. Department of Justice is awarding three local law enforcement agencies with funding to hire additional officers.

The funding is coming from the department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program.

According to a news release, 596 law enforcement agencies across the country will now be able to hire an additional 2,732 full-time officers through the $400 million in grant funding.

In south central Kentucky, the Allen County Sheriff’s Office is getting $123,138, while the Morgantown Police Department and the Simpson County Sheriff’s Office are both receiving $250,000.

The COPS Hiring Program is a competitive award program intended to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing by providing direct funding for the hiring of career law enforcement officers, according to the news release.