A dozen Montana law enforcement agencies will receive more than $2 million in federal funding to hire 16 additional officers.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program grants announced on June 2 are meant to address a specific crime or focus area, like violent crime, school based policing, building respect or drug intervention.
Montana counties to receive funding include Broadwater, Carbon, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Mineral, Park, Prairie, Sweet Grass and Gallatin, along with the towns of Troy, Miles City and Missoula.
Agencies applied to the COPS Hiring Program in March.
The grant awards cover three quarters of an entry level officer position over a three year period and include the following jurisdictions:
- Broadwater County Sheriff's Office, 2 officers, $250,000
- Carbon County Sheriff's Department, 1 officer, $125,000
- Gallatin County, 3 officers, $375,000
- Lake County Sheriff's Department, 1 officer, $219,009
- Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Department, 1 officer, $125,000
- Miles City, 1 officer, $125,000
- Mineral County Sheriff's Department, 1 officer, $223,779
- Missoula, City of, 2 officers, $250,000
- Park County Sheriff's Department, 1 officer, $125,000
- Prairie County Sheriff, 1 officer, $179,593
- Sweet Grass County, 1 officer, $125,000
- Troy Police Department, 1 officer, $189,799
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