By Laura DeKoven Waxman
July 18, 2011

The House Appropriations Committee reported out a FY 2012 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies spending bill July 13 that would eliminate the COPS program and the COPS Office and cut the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program to $357 million, 16 percent less than is available this year and 30 percent less than last year’s level. Also eliminated would be the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program. Juvenile justice programs would be cut more than 60 percent; Second Chance Reentry programs would be cut 16 percent.

The bill was reported out of subcommittee July 7. Several amendments were offered during the full committee markup to provide some funding for COPS, and at least one was offered to provide funding for SCAP, but all were either defeated or withdrawn. Subcommittee Chairman Frank Wolf (VA) pledged to work with members to restore some funds for the COPS Office when the bill reaches the floor.

As in the homeland security appropriations bill, the House Appropriations Committee would cut state and local law enforcement programs disproportionately – by 39 percent. They would be reduced by $1.1 billion next year, slightly more than the total cut to the U.S. Department of Justice.

In a July 12 alert to mayors on the bill, Conference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran commented, “It is ironic that these cuts are proposed at the same time that some cities are being forced to lay off police officers to balance their budgets. COPS grants can be used to avoid having to layoff officers and to rehire those already laid off; Byrne grants provide flexible funds to police departments which they can use to meet their greatest needs.”

In a July 6 letter to the House Appropriations Committee, Conference of Mayors Vice President Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey urged the Committee to provide at least current funding for COPS Hiring and Byrne Justice Assistance grants next year. “Public safety is the last thing we should be putting on the chopping block,” Nutter and Ramsey wrote. “The proposed cuts to the federal government’s primary source of support for local police departments are untimely and ill advised, and a threat to public safety.” Nutter also is Chair of the Conference of Mayors Task Force on Mayors and Police Chiefs. Ramsey is the President of both the Major Cities Chiefs Association and the Police Executive Research Forum.

Representatives Bill Pascrell, Jr. (NJ) and Dave Reichert (WA), co-chairs of the bipartisan House Law Enforcement Caucus, and seven other members of Congress held a July 12 news conference with representatives of law enforcement organizations to oppose the Appropriations Committee’s proposed elimination of the COPS program. They promised to fight for restoration of funding for the program in Committee and on the floor.

“In these times of state and local budget cuts, layoffs and department closures remain a huge worry for state and local law enforcement. This is a story you hear all across the country,” said Pascrell, former mayor of Paterson (NJ). “I recognize the need to live within our means and budget responsibility, but that does not mean unwisely sacrificing the safety and security of our communities. Our nation’s first responders represent our first and last lines of our homeland security. Our cops sacrifice themselves everyday to keep us safe. Now let’s return the favor and join together, Democrats and Republicans, to restore this program and continue to keep both our cops and communities safe.”

“Congress should craft legislation with the safety of our neighborhoods in the forefront of our minds,” said Reichert, former King County (WA) Sheriff. “The task of allocating limited resources inherently prompts tough choices – I understand that – but eliminating an effective office that enables local law enforcement agencies to keep officers on the street, checking in on businesses, and monitoring our schools, is irresponsible. I urge my colleagues to see the value in an office that I can personally attest to after 33 years in law enforcement. It would be shortsighted to close the doors to the COPS office without considering the impact it will have on the safety of communities across our country.”