REP. PALLONE, MAYOR CAHILL ANNOUNCE MORE THAN $1.5 MILLION FOR NEW BRUNSWICK POLICE DEPARTMENTFEDERAL COPS GRANT USED TO FUND SEVEN OFFICERS FOR THREE YEARS

October 7, 2010

New Brunswick, N.J. – Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ-06) and New Brunswick Mayor Jim Cahill today joined at City Hall to announce the police department was awarded $1,588,664 for seven officers. The funding, which was awarded through the U.S. Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant program, goes directly to hiring new officers or to avoid cuts to personnel.

“Effective crime prevention is important for the safety of our communities,” said Pallone. “Keeping cops on the beat is a top priority even in tough economic times. Safe communities are essential to the future growth and success of our communities. I believe the benefits of maintaining a strong police force by hiring officers and preventing future layoffs will be evident in our communities.”

“We cannot allow today’s economy to erode the progress we’ve made in reducing crime. This grant will ensure safer streets and a better quality of life are protected as our nation works to improve our economy,” said Cahill.

The COPS Hiring Program fully funds entry-level salaries and benefits for full-time police officers over a three-year period. New Brunswick was one of six New Jersey communities to receive COPS funding in a recent round of awards.

The number of police officers in New Jersey has been reduced by 11 percent in the past year. Since the COPS program began in 1994, funding has been secured to hire and retain nearly 5,000 police officers and sheriff’s deputies in New Jersey and 474 local and state law police agencies have benefited from the funding.