Local police departments have been strained in recent years over the transition of resources from crime to terrorism. But a bipartisan amendment introduced in an appropriations bill may help.
The bill would increase federal funding of community-oriented policing services by $110 million, to $660 million.
"Fewer police on the street preventing crime and protecting communities means more crime—it's as simple as that. Let's get back to crime-fighting basics and put more cops on the beat," Sen. Joseph Biden, a Delaware Democrat, said in a statement. The amendment is expected to allow agencies to hire about 1,400 local officers and add 100 FBI agents dedicated to crime. The COPS program was created in the 1990s to combat rising crime rates.
—Emma Schwartz
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