Manchester receives $82,000 federal law enforcement grant
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) announced that the Manchester Police Department will receive $82,000 through the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act Program, which is operated by the DOJ's Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office.
The Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act Program promotes peer mentoring health and wellness, supports suicide prevention programs and invests in improving access to mental health and wellness for law enforcement. Shaheen is a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the lead Democrat of the Subcommittee that funds COPS grants and worked to include an additional $3 million for Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act grants in the government funding bill last year.
"Law enforcement face tremendous stress on the job, which has only been exacerbated by COVID-19. Federal funding to increase access to mental health programs and wellness for officers is more urgently needed now than ever," said Shaheen. "Increasing training and support for law enforcement to prioritize mental health investments for their departments is important to keeping officers safe and preventing burnout. I'm glad to see the Manchester Police Department’s leadership and commitment to this program, and the broader state effort to address mental health through coordination with the Southern NH Regional Critical Stress Management and Peer-to-Peer Support Program. I’ll continue to push for more federal resources that invest in these priorities in New Hampshire."
Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH) and Manchester Police Department Chief Carlo Capano also praised the news.
"These federal funds to support law enforcement could not come at a more important time," said Pappas. "We are asking our law enforcement to do more with less each day as we deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and the addiction and substance misuse crisis that continues to ravage our communities. I’m pleased these funds are being made available, and I will continue to push to get New Hampshire’s public safety community the resources they need to do their jobs and keep our communities safe."
"We are very pleased and grateful for this grant opportunity, officer resilience is so important in our field," said Capano. "This grant will allow us to expand and enhance our CIMT program throughout the state. That means more officers will be trained and more officers benefiting from this great program across the state."
Pappas added that President Donald Trump’s Fiscal Year 2021 budget proposal cut $170 million from the COPS program and cut $380 million in support to state, local and tribal law enforcement across the country.
Earlier this year, Manchester received $1.25 million in COPS Hiring Program (CHP) grants to advance community policing.
