Local police and legislators met Monday to raise the issue of funding for police all over Michigan.
High on the list of concerns was the Community Oriented Policing Services program, which provides funds for approximately 3,400 officers in the state.
“This works,” U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, told The Associated Press. “It’s something that everyone should be embracing.”
The program itself began in 1994 and has provided funds for almost 100,000 new officers in communities nationwide.
Stabenow is sponsoring a bill that would renew COPS for another five years. The program has been under fire since President Bush released his budget, which removes the funding.
Most local police stations are home to a few officers who are funded in part by the grant received from COPS.
“It gives you more officers and they work with the community,” said Matthew Myers, Ingham County under sheriff. “Anything you can do to educate the public - seat belt and school bus programs, neighborhood watch programs. A lot of it is getting out into the public.”
Anticipating the possible removal of the program, both U.S. and state politicians are getting involved. State Sen. Alma Wheeler Smith, D-Salem Township and a gubernatorial candidate for 2002, is sponsoring a state resolution calling for the renewal of the COPS program. She has estimated the renewal could mean another 1,500 officers for Michigan. Smith could not be reached for comment.
While the future of the program is up in the air, money already given to a community is not in danger.
“We’ve already received the funds,” East Lansing police Capt. Juli Liebler said. “We’re not going to lose any money, but we won’t be able to get any future funds.”
East Lansing currently employs 10 grant-funded officers.
The grant itself is a three-year program, providing $25,000 per officer per year, provided the officer will be employed for at least one year after the program ends. East Lansing hired its first COPS officer in 1995.
The program has also helped to provide seven cadets, a records clerk and mobile computers for the East Lansing police.
At the core of the program is the intent to get officers out into the community to aid and improve relations with the public.
Lansing police have already begun looking further into the program, hoping to make all officers into community officers. While they do receive federal funds, the focus is on making sure every officer is reaching out into the community.
“We expect all our officers to perform their duties,” Lansing police Lt. Ray Hall said. “Since we’ve expanded our philosophies, we take those dollars and fund training to support issues that are required.”
