Eliot Engel: “I rise in support of H.R. 1700, the COPS Improvement Act. The COPS hiring program has been an unqualified success. Since…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 1700, the COPS Improvement Act. The COPS hiring program has been an unqualified success. Since the program first began in 1994, we have seen crime rates plummet throughout the country. There are many factors one can point to for this drop in crime, but the most obvious one is that the COPS hiring program has given our local governments over $9 billion to hire over 117,000 police officers. Law enforcement agencies in my district, New York's 17th, have received $625,984,137 in COPS grants since 1994. This funding has translated into 6,997 additional law enforcement officers in my district. Unfortunately, Republicans ended the COPS hiring program last year. A likely result of this, is that crime rates are inching upward. It is essential that we stay vigilant in our fight against crime by passing the COPS Improvement Act. When this bill passes, law enforcement agencies across the country will be able to add over 50,000 police officers to our streets. In my district, we will gain $190,978,211 in funding and 2,991 more police officers. But the COPS program is not just about the number of police officers; it is also about giving police officers the tools they need. Since 1994, $26,678,080 in COPS grants have been awarded to law enforcement agencies in the 17th District of New York to purchase technology that enables agencies to put more officers on the beat. This translates into more bulletproof vests and mobile computers.”