Sen. Brown announces more than $16 million for law enforcement; GPD to receive $125,000

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and members of Ohio’s Congressional delegation welcomed a $16,093,311 investment to hire and retain 129 law enforcement officers to serve 21 communities and law enforcement agencies across Ohio. 

Included in the investment is $125,000 to the Village of Greenfield to hire one new law enforcement officer. 

"The COPS grant is a testament to the support our local law enforcement agency receives from federal partners," Greenfield City Manager Todd Wilkin said.

"We are humbled and honored to have been selected as a recipient of this grant, which will not only enhance our ability to serve the Greenfield community, but also strengthen the bonds between our officers and the citizens we are sworn to protect.

"Adding a new police officer will bolster our efforts to provide a safer and more secure environment for the people of Greenfield. Their presence will significantly contribute to our ongoing efforts to reduce crime, improve public safety and enhance the quality of life for our residents."

“Too many law enforcement agencies across our state have had to lay off officers due to budget challenges," Brown said. "We know that communities depend on properly trained law enforcement officers to protect and serve. These investments will enable Ohio communities to hire and train dedicated public servants to prevent crime and keep our communities safe.” 

“This funding to hire more police officers in Ohio is not only an investment in law enforcement, but also an investment in the well-being and security of our communities,” said U.S. Representative Greg Landsman. “Departments are struggling to recruit officers and these grants will help them significantly.” 

Brown also announced a $2,222,441 investment to five Ohio communities to support crisis intervention teams, de-escalation training, accreditation efforts, and innovative community policing strategies, and a $540,083 investment for Ohio schools to improve safety and security. These investments were awarded by the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services Hiring Program, the Community Policing Development Program, and the School Violence Prevention Program. 

Last month, Brown announced more than $2 million for Toledo, Fairview Park, and Warren to develop and acquire effective equipment, technologies, and communications systems that assist in responding to and preventing crime. And in September, Brown announced that he secured $23 million to provide Ohio law enforcement with critical tools and equipment, as well as enhance access to prevention, treatment, and recovery services for individuals diagnosed with substance abuse disorders.  

“Once again, our federal partners are proving they have our backs. For Cincinnati and cities throughout Ohio, having the resources to keep families safe is key to building a thriving future. This support makes a transformational impact on our mission, and we couldn’t be prouder to have a leader like Senator Brown advocating for our community and delivering results,” said Mayor Aftab Pureval of Cincinnati. 

“The safety and security of our men and women in uniform, residents, and visitors is an absolute must. We are beyond grateful that our Federal Partners support and proactively offer grant funding to the Cincinnati Police Department, which allows us to fulfill our mission of delivering exceptional police services to those in need, where positive outcomes matter,” said Cincinnati Police Chief Theresa Theetge. “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the U.S. Department of Justice and Senator Brown for keeping the hiring and retaining of police officers a top priority.” 

“There's no issue more important to me than public safety. Here in Cleveland, our police officers are on the streets every day, working to keep our community safe. But they can't do it alone. That's why we're so grateful to the DOJ for this major award. Public safety takes partners at every level of government,” said Mayor Justin Bibb of Cleveland. “And when it comes to keeping Clevelanders safe, Senator Brown walks the walk. Clevelanders are grateful for his constant push to bring resources home where we need them most.” 

“This grant funding will help my office in our ongoing efforts to recruit and hire the next generation of deputies to serve Summit County,” said Summit County Sheriff Kandy Fatheree. “I’m grateful to the Justice Department for investing in our county.”  

“The Newark Division of Police is extremely grateful for the opportunity to apply for and to have received these vital COPS Hiring grant dollars. These additional officers will be crucial in keeping with our, ‘Community First’ philosophy here in the City of Newark,” said Newark Chief of Policy Erik J. McKee. “As a result we will be able to implement new programs, and supplement current community-based programs which in turn will foster many new community relationships as well as strengthening those relationships we currently have.” 

“These grant dollars are hugely important to keeping the City of Marion safe and continuing the community partnerships we work so hard at,” said Jay McDonald, Marion Chief of Police. 

Investments from the Community Oriented Policing Services Hiring Program include: 

$6,250,000 to the City of Cincinnati to hire 50 new law enforcement officers. 
  
$3,750,000 to the City of Cleveland to hire 30 new law enforcement officers. 
  
$625,000 to the City of Alliance to hire 5 new law enforcement officers. 
  
$625,000 to Boardman Township to hire 5 new law enforcement officers. 
  
$625,000 to the City of Canton to hire 5 new law enforcement officers. 
  
$625,000 to the City of Newark to hire 5 new law enforcement officers. 
  
$500,000 to the City of Brooklyn to hire 4 new law enforcement officers. 
  
$375,000 to the Euclid Police Department to hire 3 new law enforcement officers. 
  
$375,000 to the City of Marion to hire 3 new law enforcement officers. 
  
$375,000 to Miami Township to hire 3 new law enforcement officers. 
  
$375,000 to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office to hire 3 new law enforcement officers. 
  
$250,000 to the City of Barberton to hire 2 new law enforcement officers. 
  
$250,000 to the County of Butler to hire 2 new law enforcement officers. 
  
$250,000 to the Metropolitan Park District of the Toledo Area to hire 2 new law enforcement officers. 
  
$125,000 to the Brown County Sheriff’s Office to hire 1 new law enforcement officer. 

$125,000 to the City of Middleburg Heights to hire 1 new law enforcement officer. 
  
$125,000 to the Village of Mogadore to hire 1 new law enforcement officer. 
  
$125,000 to the City of Salem to hire 1 new law enforcement officer. 
  
$120,391 to the Village of Andover to hire 1 new law enforcement officer. 
  
$97,920 to Village of Glouster to hire 1 new law enforcement officer. 
  
Investments from the Community Policing Development Program include: 

$1,300,000 to The Ohio State University for community-police relations resources. 
 
$399,846 to the City of Shaker Heights to implement crisis intervention teams. 

$175,000 to the City of Cleveland Heights for community violence intervention training and resources. 

$175,000 to the City of Columbus for training.

$172,595 to the City of Akron for law enforcement agency de-escalation training. 
  
Investments from the School Violence Prevention Program to improve security at schools and on school grounds include: 

$365,083 to the East Knox Local School District. 
  
$175,000 to the Riverside Local School District. 
 
Brown has long been a champion for investing in the Office of Community Oriented Policing and has fought to secure critical funding for Ohio law enforcement for years. In April of this year, Brown urged the Appropriations committee to increase funding for the program to over $500 million. These investments build on Brown’s commitment to increasing the quality and availability of training to improve officer and community safety. In August, he introduced his bipartisan Law Enforcement Scenario-Based Training for Safety and De-Escalation Act of 2023. That legislation, endorsed by the NAACP, Fraternal Order of Police, and the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, would require the Department of Justice to create immersive, real-life, scenario-based training curriculum to address key issues raised by law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.