U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the lead Democrat of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the Department of Justice, announced today with Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01), $664,673 in federal funds for New Hampshire through the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program. The first award is $489,674 to the New Hampshire Department of Safety for the state’s Anti-Heroin Task Force (AHTF), and the second award is $174,999 to Dartmouth College for a COPS Hiring Program (CHP) Performance Measurement Study. COPS AHTF grants are highly competitive, yet this is the second time that New Hampshire has received funding through this program. CHP grants support state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies’ ability to hire, preserve and/or rehire law enforcement officers and to increase community policing efforts. Shaheen is a senior member of the Appropriations Committee and the lead Democrat on the Subcommittee that funds these programs. Over the years, she has successfully secured federal resources for the COPS program and saved the AHTF program from elimination by the Trump administration. Shaheen boosted federal resources for the COPS grant program in the Appropriations Committee-approved funding legislation for fiscal year (FY) 2020.

“New Hampshire law enforcement have been heroically fighting the substance use disorder epidemic day-in and day-out, saving countless lives and putting dealers behind bars,” said Senator Shaheen. “We need to continually make sure that law enforcement in our state have the resources they need and these grants are a very welcome boost. Support for the COPS program and other federal initiatives that support law enforcement will continue to be a top priority for me as a leader of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that determines funding for these grant programs.”

“These federal grants will help Granite State law enforcement do their jobs by directing more funding to combat our state’s substance misuse crisis and improving the effectiveness of community policing programs,” Senator Hassan said. “I’ll keep working with the rest of the New Hampshire delegation to ensure that law enforcement officers have the tools and resources that they need to keep our communities safe.”

“Local law enforcement plays a critical role in keeping our communities safe and responding to the opioid epidemic,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “This funding will help strengthen overall policing strategies and assist law enforcement in their work on the frontlines of the opioid crisis, advancing public safety in New Hampshire. I’m pleased by this development and will continue working to secure funding and resources that will protect Granite State communities.”

“New Hampshire’s law enforcement officers are on the frontlines of the addiction epidemic and it’s critical we provide them with the support and resources they need to fight back,” said Congressman Pappas. “With the assistance from the Department of Justice, our local law enforcement officers will be able to strengthen their efforts to keep our communities safe. I promise to continue fighting for additional support alongside the rest of the delegation until we are able to put this epidemic behind us.”

Colonel Chris Wagner, Director of the NH State Police, said, “This federal grant funding will ensure continued collaboration between federal, state and local law enforcement and drive cross-border initiatives to disrupt drug trafficking organizations who continue to fuel the opioid and substance use epidemic in the granite state.”

Last week, Senators Shaheen and Hassan’s bipartisan resolution to designate the first week in October National Community Policing Week passed the Senate. On Monday, Shaheen and Hassan hosted a press conference with the Merrimack Police Department to kick off National Community Policing Week and reaffirm the importance of maintaining strong community relationships between law enforcement agencies and the public they serve.

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