Minneapolis received $3.2 million for public safety from federal Recovery Act funds
Obama Administration Helps to Put Police on Minneapolis Streets
July 28, 2009 (MINNEAPOLIS) - The City of Minneapolis will receive a public safety grant of $3.2 million in Recovery Act funding through the Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program. Minneapolis and several other Minnesota cities were chosen to receive the Recovery funding, which is part of a package of $1 billion in COPS funding being awarded nationwide.
"This is great news for Minneapolis, and the entire region," said Mayor R.T. Rybak. "Minneapolis has made tremendous strides in public safety, and these grant dollars will help us continue those gains."
"Although keeping Minneapolis safe is our top priority as City leaders, cuts from the state and the tough economy mean we have to be looking for ways to do our work with less," said City Council President Barb Johnson. "This funding will be tremendously helpful in keeping officers on the job and helping drive crime down even more in our city."
"Public safety plays a vital role in maintaining healthy communities, and I will continue to work with the Obama administration to advocate for investments that help us keep our neighborhoods safe," said Mayor R.T. Rybak. "We’re seeing the lowest levels of violent crime in Minneapolis in years, and it didn’t happen by accident. This funding will help us keep that trend moving in the right direction."
The COPS Hiring Program was a competitive application process, with 1,046 law enforcement agencies receiving funding. The City applied for this grant in April to pay for 13 police officers over the course of the grant cycle, which is January 2010 through December 2012.
Published Jul. 28, 2009