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Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Descriptions

16.712:  Police Corps

Objectives:  To address violent crime by increasing the number of police with advanced education assigned to community patrol in areas of great need, and to provide educational assistance to students who possess a sincere interest in public service through law enforcement and to law enforcement personnel.

PROGRAM AND AWARD	FINANCIAL AND INFORMATION CONTACTS
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS	FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO.
APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS	INFORMATION CONTACTS
RELATED PROGRAMS	ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS
PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS	POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS

16.712 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:  (a) States: All States are eligible to submit a State plan. (b) State and local police forces: Law enforcement agencies within participating States are eligible to hire Police Corps participants. No participant may be assigned to serve with a local force whose size has declined by more than 5 percent since June 21, 1989, or which has members who have been laid off but not rehired. (c) Participants: Participants must be citizens of the United States or aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence, possess the necessary mental and physical capabilities and moral characteristics to be an effective police officer, be of good character, meet the standards of the police force with which they will serve, and demonstrate sincere motivation and dedication to law enforcement and public service. Applicants are selected on a competitive basis. (d) Assistance to dependents of officers killed in the line of duty: Eligible dependents must be a natural or adopted child or stepchild of a law enforcement officer who served in a State that participates in the Police Corps and who was slain after the state had an approved Police Corps state plan.

Beneficiary Eligibility:  States, State and local police forces, and individuals as outlined above.

Credentials/Documentation:  Information on documentation required in State plans can be obtained from the Office of the Police Corps (Headquarters). Interested individuals and law enforcement agencies should contact the State lead agency for specific requirements. A list of State lead agencies is available from the Office of the Police Corps (Headquarters).

16.712 APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:

Preapplication Coordination:  None. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure:  (a) States that wish to participate in the Police Corps should designate a State lead agency to submit a State plan. Interested States should contact the Office of the Police Corps (Headquarters) for specific requirements for State plans. (b) Law enforcement agencies should apply to the appropriate State lead agency. (c) Interested individuals should apply to the State lead agency for the State in which they wish to serve. Individual participants are selected on a competitive basis by participating States and assigned to specific police or sheriffs' departments. A successful applicant becomes a "participant" by completing a formal written agreement with the Director of the Office of the Police Corps. (d) Dependents of officers killed in the line of duty should contact the appropriate State lead agency for an application.

Award Procedure:  The Office of the Police Corps solicits State plans on an annual basis, subject to annual appropriations. Participants, eligible dependents and law enforcement agencies submit annual requests for payment to the State lead agency, which reviews and approves requests. Payments for estimated educational expenses are made to the appropriate college or university. Payments for actual educational expenses are made to participants. Training budgets are submitted in advance of any training; training expenses are reimbursed at or shortly after the time a training session is completed.

Deadlines:  Contact the Office of the Police Corps for deadlines to submit State plans. Contact the appropriate State lead agency for information on pertinent deadlines for individual applicants and interested law enforcement agencies.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:  State plans are normally reviewed within 60-90 days from the date of submission.

Appeals:  None.

Renewals:  Approvals of State plans extend to a single fiscal year. Participating States interested in being allocated additional slots for Police Corps participants must submit State plans for subsequent fiscal years at the appropriate times.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals:  (a) Participating States are selected on the basis of State plans and available appropriations. Preference is given to State plans that demonstrate that participants will be assigned to areas with great need for additional law enforcement personnel. (b) Individual participants are selected on a competitive basis within participating States. Selection criteria include physical and mental capabilities, emotional characteristics, character, motivation and dedication to public service and law enforcement, scholastic record, work experience outside of law enforcement, and community involvement.

Examples of Funded Projects:  As of January 2000, participating States include Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virgin Islands, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  (a) Educational assistance: expected range per participant is $5,000 to $30,000; average annual payment as of January 2000 is $6,759. (b) Cash assistance to State and local police forces: average payment per participant is $40,000 over four years. (c) Training cost reimbursements to State facilities: estimated average per participant as of January 2000 is $20,000.

16.712 RELATED PROGRAMS:

16.712 PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

16.712 FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO:

Federal Agency:  OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS, OFFICE OF THE POLICE CORPS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Type of Assistance:  Project Grants.

Obligations:  (educational assistance to participants, cash assistance to law enforcement agencies, training costs and related expenses) FY 99 $51,283,964; and FY 00 est $61,255,689; and FY 01 est $30,000,000.

Budget Account Number:  15-8594-0-1-754; 15-0401-0-1-754.

Authorization:  Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, Title XX, Subpart A, Public Law 103-322.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature:  Regulations for the Police Corps appear at 28 CFR Part 92. The Office of the Police Corps has issued Guidelines for (1) Outreach, Selection and Assignment, (2) Training Programs. A program overview is available through the Office of the Police Corps (Headquarters).

16.712 INFO CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:  None.

Headquarters Office:  Office of the Police Corps and Law Enforcement Education, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, 810 Seventh St, NW., Washington, DC 20531. Phone: U.S. Department of Justice Response Center at 1-800-421-6770 or the Office of the Police Corps at (202) 353-8953 or 1-888-94CORPS.

(See Appendix IV for more contact info.)

16.712 ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:  This program has no matching requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:  See award procedure outlined above. Individual participants may receive assistance for undergraduate study or graduate study, but not both.

Uses and Use Restrictions:  (a) Educational assistance: Police Corps participants must complete education, training and service requirements. All participants must successfully complete the 16-24 week Police Corps training program and serve for four years on community patrol with a State or local police force in a participating State. Undergraduate participants first must attend college on a full-time basis and earn a baccalaureate degree. Participants who pursue graduate study must complete their service and training obligations in advance. Educational assistance is based on participants' actual educational expenses; no participant may receive more than $30,000 under the program. (b) Cash assistance to police forces: State and local police and sheriffs' departments that employ Police Corps participants receive $10,000 for each of a participant's first four years of service. No department may receive a cash payment for any year in which its average size has declined by more than 2 percent since January 1, 1993, or in which it has laid off officers. No more than 10 percent of a State's Police Corps participants may be assigned to a statewide police force. (c) Training cost reimbursements are paid only to State training facilities approved to offer the Police Corps training program or its substantial equivalent. (d) Educational assistance to dependents of officers killed in the line of duty is based on actual expenses for college education and the four year service obligation is waived; no dependent may receive more than $30,000 under the program.

16.712 POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:  State lead agencies are required to provide periodic updates on recruiting and training programs and on the gender, race, and progress of participants through their studies, training and service with State or local police forces.

Audits:  Audit procedures have not yet been established for this program.

Records:  Financial records should be retained for a period of three years following the conclusion of Federal assistance.