SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Police Department has been awarded a $3,125,000 grant to hire 25 additional officers.
The funds are part of a $98 million grant from the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS, Hiring Program. Other law enforcement agencies across the country received similar grants.
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The officers can be hired over the next three years to address specific crime problems utilizing community policing strategies, officials said.
"Community policing is an effective tool for reducing violent crime in our neighborhoods," U.S. Attorney Richard L. Durbin Jr said. "With this grant, an important partner agency of ours will be able to hire and train additional officers to enhance public safety in our community."
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U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, of Laredo, said the officers will be assigned to support the Texas Anti-Gang Program, the Southwest Texas Fusion Center's Violent Crime Intelligence Program and the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network system.
SAPD will continue its active outreach to the veteran community for recruitment, Cuellar said.
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"I congratulate the city of San Antonio and the San Antonio Police Department, and I thank Mayor Ronald Adrian Nirenberg, the City Council and Police Chief William P. McManus for their leadership in securing the grant," he said. "I would also like to thank the San Antonio Congressional Delegation for working together as a team."