More about this funding opportunity.

Goal: Produce innovative knowledge products and resources that promote community-oriented policing and increase the capacity of law enforcement agencies to enhance public safety.

• Objective 1: Develop innovative projects that enhance law enforcement organizational capacity to implement community partnerships, problem-solving, and their ability to directly address public safety problems through common-sense policing strategies.

• Objective 2: Promote effective and promising practices to increase awareness of and ready access to cutting-edge solutions to current public safety problems and a positive image of policing.

• Objective 3: Develop new knowledge and understanding of critical topics that impact public safety and community policing implementation utilizing common sense policing strategies.

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) is the component of the U.S. Department of Justice responsible for advancing the practice of community policing by the nation’s state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies through information and grant resources. Through its Community Policing Development (CPD) program, the COPS Office develops products and resources on a wide range of community policing topics. CPD funded products and resources provide guidance on promising practices, develop and test innovative strategies; build knowledge about effective practices and outcomes; and support new, creative approaches to preventing crime and promoting safe communities and a positive image of policing.

The COPS Office is seeking applications for the FY25 Law Enforcement Products and Resources program to expand its community policing resources for state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies. Applicants are invited to propose initiatives that will develop products and resources specifically designed for national distribution that offer creative ideas to uplift the image of the law enforcement profession, advance crime fighting, or support community policing efforts through community engagement, problem solving or organizational change. High priority areas of focus may include (but are not limited to) topics such as violent crime prevention, immigration issues and border security, child trafficking, street gangs, recruitment and hiring, gun violence and the enforcement of gun laws, opioids and drug market interruption, law enforcement taskforce engagement, homelessness and squatting, nuisance abatement and other crime and disorder problems.

Applicants may submit multiple applications, but you must submit a separate application for each project. Any application that does not clearly state the solicitation, and where applicable, the subcategory on the cover page of the project narrative (if applicable) or selects the incorrect subcategory may not pass the basic minimum requirement phase of the review process. Proposed initiatives must be national in scope. The COPS Office defines national in scope as a project that is intentionally developed to benefit agencies nationwide, and not just for a specific state or region. The applicant must also address how the proposed product or resource will benefit agencies nationwide. Examples of the types of products and resources that the COPS Office generally distributes include (but are not necessarily limited to) the following:

• Trainings, including in-person, live online/virtual, and/or asynchronous online Trainings must be developed in accordance with the COPS Office training guidelines and processes. Online trainings must be compatible with the COPS training portal (https://copstrainingportal.org/)

• Guidebooks

• Emerging issues forums

• Policy guides

• Promising practices reports

• Pilot programs must be national in scope. Pilot programs may be undertaken locally but the findings must be applicable nationally. Pilot sites should reflect an appropriate variety of characteristics to ensure that findings are valid nationally. Pilot programs must contain a rigorous evaluation and analysis of viability.

• Case studies should include a minimum of five sites. Case study sites should be selected with an appropriate variety of characteristics to satisfy the goals of the project. The narrative should explain justification for the selection methodology of case study sites.

• Evaluations should include applied research methods that emphasize practice-based evidence. The format and depth of the evaluation should be justified in the narrative and appropriate for the proposed topic.

• Roll call videos

• Podcasts

• Webinars

• Self-assessment tools must go through rigorous testing and validation.

• Interactive websites

• Checklists

• Short-form videos

• Other deliverables not listed.

Please provide justification for your selection(s) Any proposed product or resource should be directly in support of the advancement of community policing and promote the importance of law enforcement and communities working together to address highest priority public safety issues. High priority areas may include (but are not limited to) topics such as the following: uplifting the image of the law enforcement profession, violent crime prevention, immigration issues and border security, child trafficking, street gangs, recruitment and hiring, gun violence and the enforcement of gun laws, opioids and drug market interruption, law enforcement taskforce engagement, homelessness and squatting, nuisance abatement, and other crime and disorder problems.

The role of law enforcement has never been more vital in fostering safe and thriving communities. The dynamic between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve has been a longstanding and complex issue and is often challenged by high-profile incidents and evolving societal expectations. In recent years, the proliferation of smartphone technology and social media has amplified public scrutiny and tend to primarily highlight negative images and perceptions of police. These dynamics have highlighted the importance of addressing police image and reputation, particularly in the context of declining recruitment and rising officer attrition.

Under this subtopic area, the COPS Office seeks law enforcement agencies to develop or implement innovative and collaborative projects aimed at uplifting law enforcement as a profession and promote the importance and nobility of those who take on these heroic roles. 9 of 41 Applicants should identify a list of activities and strategies that take an innovative approach to address the complexities surrounding public perception of law enforcement and a focus on demonstrating the positive impacts policing can make on their communities across the nation. Such projects could focus on publicizing stories that highlight positive law enforcement engagement with their communities, developing local marketing campaigns to target applicants whose values are in harmony with the agency’s mission and values, or establishing pipeline programs (such as cadet and explorer programs) to encourage young people to consider law enforcement careers while simultaneously promoting police officers as positive role models and demonstrating the human side of policing, breaking down negative stereotypes and fostering goodwill. Applicants should identify a list of activities and strategies and explain why they believe this approach will be successful. A variety of objectives can be proposed to achieve the project goal(s) and may involve agency personnel and resources as well as community partners.

Topics must seek to enhance the capacity of law enforcement agencies to partner with external community organizations to achieve joint public safety goals in the topics identified above. For example, external community organizations can include, but are not limited to the following:

• Other state, local, tribal or territorial government entities

• Non-Profit Organizations

• Institutions of Higher Education

• Community Groups

• Faith Based Organizations

• For Profit (Commercial) Organizations

• Other organizations with proper justification

Topics must seek to improve the capacity of law enforcement agencies to identify, understand, and address public safety problems through the implementation of common sense policing strategies such as those identified above.

Topics must seek to enhance the fairness, effectiveness and efficiency of law enforcement agencies through improvements to agency management, organizational structures, personnel, technology and communication systems that enhance an agency’s capacity to respond to pressing issues such as those identified above

Topics must seek to improve and promote a positive image of policing, uplifting the law enforcement profession in order to build trust and respect with the community, increase recruitment of new officers, and increase retention of existing officers.

Potential topic ideas include the following, but are not limited to:

• National Campaign Uplifting the Image of Law Enforcement Projects aim to shift the narrative of policing on several different fronts, but an intentional, public-facing campaign (beyond recruitment materials) to change the way the community views law enforcement could be a key strategy. Messaging should prominently feature officers’ relationships with their communities, demonstrate their dedication to upholding law and order and the many ways in which they can have a positive impact on their communities. This campaign would work to publicize positive stories of law enforcement, allowing the community to also see officers as mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, daughters, and sons, they can begin to separate the negative portrayal of law enforcement from the reality of the officers who honorably serve their communities and risk their lives on a daily basis.

• Development of Marketing Toolkit Promoting Policing as a Profession A project in this topic area would include such things as developing marketing strategies and templates that take into consideration recruitment in different types of agencies (large, small, urban, rural, etc.) to help promote policing as a profession and emphasize the importance of attracting applicants whose values are in harmony with the concepts of upholding the rule of law, keeping the public safe, and acting as the face of law and order within our communities. It is critical for agencies to be mindful of the message conveyed through their recruitment materials, as these can significantly influence potential candidates.

• Research in Law Enforcement Recruiting Projects aim to develop and conduct a representative national survey to assess the career interest of young adults in law enforcement. Projects seek to identify factors deterring youth from pursuing careers, and in understanding these barriers, agencies can better tailor their recruitment strategies to attract and retain young talent.

• Support Law Enforcement Pipeline Programs Projects aim to develop influential tools for recruiting new officers and changing the view of law enforcement. Funding could support the creation of a database of promising practices and/or programs that focus on the recruitment of potential new officers. Programs can include cadet and explorer programs, internship and apprenticeship programs, partnerships with schools and institutes of higher education to develop programs, courses, or curricula to introduce and prepare students for a career in law enforcement.

The COPS Office will fund an organization to plan and execute two to four convenings with thought leaders in law enforcement on critical topics that are impacting the field. These forums will provide subject matter expertise on emerging issues in law enforcement, engaging with leading voices in the field on the critical issues in policing. The applicant will also develop resources highlighting promising practices addressing these emerging issues that can be shared with the broader law enforcement community. The applicant should be prepared to work collaboratively with the COPS Office to develop topics for the emerging issues convenings.

Applicants are invited to propose projects that offer highly innovative solutions to address complex issues related to law and order in America. Proposed project objectives and findings should prove useful to other law enforcement agencies nationally facing similar challenges. Proposed projects should NOT be projects eligible for funding under other COPS Office grant programs (such as, but not exclusively, the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Implementation Projects, Safer Outcomes programs, or microgrants). Topics under this category should focus on the implementation of common sense policing strategies to address the following topics: violent crime prevention, immigration issues and border security, child trafficking, street gangs, recruitment and hiring, gun violence and the enforcement of gun laws, opioids and drug market interruption, law enforcement taskforce engagement, homelessness and squatting, nuisance abatement and other crime and disorder problems.

• Projects that do not offer creative and innovative ideas that advance community engagement, problem solving, or organizational changes in support of community policing will not be considered.

• Projects that do not benefit the broader national law enforcement field and only benefit a state, region or small set of agencies, will not be considered.

• Projects that duplicate an existing COPS Office or other DOJ product or resource will not be considered.