SHAHEEN ANNOUNCES NEW POLICE JOBS ACROSS NEW HAMPSHIRE

(Washington, DC)-U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen today announced that New Hampshire will receive $5,131,372 to create 24 new police positions across New Hampshire through the COPS Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP). The funding, which is made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, will provide 100 percent of funding for approved entry-level salaries and benefits for three years for newly-hired, full-time sworn officer positions (including filling existing unfunded vacancies), or for rehired officers who have been laid off or are scheduled to be laid off as a result of local budget cuts.

"It is our obligation to ensure that our communities remain safe regardless of the state of the economy, and using recovery dollars to help police departments that are facing budget crises will help put officers on the street," said Shaheen. "These new, well-paying jobs are one example of how we can use recovery funds quickly, while ensuring our communities get the resources they need."

The funding provides much needed support to state and local government budgets, and will help the nation's law enforcement agencies add and retain the manpower needed to fight crime more effectively through community policing.   

"This funding will ensure that despite the challenges of the economic downturn, we will have the resources to keep officers on the streets, working across the city to keep the public safe," said Chief David Mara of the Manchester Police Department. "This grant is great news for the Department and for Manchester."

Grants have been awarded to police departments in Alexandria, Alton, Claremont, Concord, Epping, Franklin, Keene, Lincoln, Manchester, Plymouth, Rochester, and Wakefield. The grants will be administered by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) through the federal agency's COPS Hiring Recovery Program.

For more information about the grants, or to learn which law enforcement agencies received funding, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.