U.S. Representative Angie Craig Supports Efforts to Secure Additional Funding for the West St. Paul Police Department
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Angie Craig announced her support of the West St. Paul Police Department's application for a grant from the COPS Hiring Program. This grant program is designed to provide funding directly to law enforcement agencies to hire additional career law enforcement officers in an effort to increase their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. In a letter to the Acting Director of the Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), Craig said that funding from the COPS Hiring Program Grant would allow the police department to better engage in community outreach programs.
"Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the West St. Paul Police Department and its officers dedicated a great deal of time to outreach efforts. In 2019 alone, the department conducted over 200 outreach events with thousands in attendance," wrote Representative Craig. "Due to the pandemic and staffing changes, the department hasn't been able to dedicate the same amount of time to these endeavors. This opportunity would allow the West St. Paul Police Department to enhance trust and legitimacy through community policing initiatives, including community outreach."
"I fully support the West St. Paul Police Department's application for the COPS Hiring Program. The staffing changes and outreach investments that will be made as a result of this funding will have a major impact on the City of West St. Paul, Dakota County and the State of Minnesota. I urge you to strongly consider their application," concluded Representative Craig.
"Being involved in our communities and building positive, personal relationships across West St. Paul remains a top priority for our department," said West. St Paul Police Chief Brian Sturgeon. "The additional resources from the COPS Hiring Program will allow us to increase our community policing initiatives, increasing meaningful interactions with the public and reduce crime rates in our neighborhoods. We appreciate Representative Craig's support of our effort to secure these important funds."
In Congress, Representative Craig has made it a priority to ensure that local police departments have the funding they need to do their jobs safely and effectively. Earlier this year, Craig helped introduce the Invest to Protect Act, a bipartisan bill to provide $50 million in grants for small and mid-sized police departments to invest in training, equipment, personnel support, and mental health resources. More recently, Craig helped to introduce and pass legislation to expand the Public Safety Officers' Benefit (PSOB) program after meeting Second District constituent Katie Slifko and highlighting her story.
You can find the full text of the letter
United States Department of Justice
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
ATTN: Acting Director Robert E. Chapman
145 N Street NE
Washington, DC 20530
Dear Acting Director Chapman,
I am writing in strong support of the West St. Paul Police Department's application for the COPS Hiring Program grant. Like many agencies across the country, the West St. Paul Police Department was negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and has faced significant capacity challenges since 2020. The COPS Hiring Program would allow West St. Paul to make a targeted and dedicated investment in hiring for much needed, lifesaving positions.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the West St. Paul Police Department and its officers dedicated a great deal of time to outreach efforts. In 2019 alone, the department conducted over 200 outreach events with thousands in attendance. Due to the pandemic and staffing changes, the department hasn't been able to dedicate the same amount of time to these endeavors. This opportunity would allow the West St. Paul Police Department to enhance trust and legitimacy through community policing initiatives, including community outreach.
Through the COPS Hiring Program, the West St. Paul Police Department would be able to hire an additional three officers starting in 2023. Currently, Dakota County has some of the Highest Part I and Part II crimes in the metro area. The West St. Paul Police Department is responsible for responding to many of these reports and as a result, does not have a great deal of time to invest in outreach. This program would not only allow the department to address capacity issues, but these positions would also assist with call response time and would provide additional support for the department's robust outreach efforts.
The department is working diligently to prioritize community outreach and has over a dozen events scheduled for May 2022. These efforts go a long way to build community trust and the department has full support from the City Council. With the assistance from this opportunity and the hiring of new officers, the West St. Paul Police Department strives to expand upon these efforts while reducing crime rates through partnerships and collaborative efforts.
I fully support the West St. Paul Police Department's application for the COPS Hiring Program. The staffing changes and outreach investments that will be made as a result of this funding will have a major impact on the City of West St. Paul, Dakota County, and the State of Minnesota. I urge you to strongly consider their application.
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