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WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-NJ-8) applauded Paterson Mayor Jose “Joey” Torres’ decision today to delay layoffs in the city’s police department in the hope of saving jobs through recent federal grants, including the U.S. Department of Justice’s COPS grant awarded today that is second-largest awarded in New Jersey.
Through the congressman’s persistent efforts, the Paterson Police Department received $3,747,375 through the U.S. Department of Justice’s COPS Hiring Recovery Program to hire 25 new police officers, the greatest number of officers to be hired by a single Garden State community.
The grant also allows a city facing layoffs to apply for a modification in its application that would allow the funding to be used to retain police officers already on the force.
“We worked hard to secure these dollars to provide Paterson with a solid police force, and this funding couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Pascrell, a member of the House Ways and Means committee who was Paterson mayor from 1990 to 1996. “To try to retain some of Paterson’s dedicated officers, who have already been trained at the academy and have some experience, is just common sense. I am pleased that the Department of Justice has made such a strong commitment to our city.”
Pascrell had numerous conversations with federal authorities to advocate for the city’s application. Despite a highly competitive atmosphere for the grants throughout the nation, Pascrell managed to secure for Paterson 20 percent of the total number of officers allocated to New Jersey.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 allocated $1 billion to the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) for the COPS Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP).
The COPS awards to police departments in New Jersey are:
Municipality Award Officers awarded
Asbury Park $1,376,100 5
Brooklawn $350,081 1
East Orange $3,246,950 14
Elizabeth $ 4,961,943 17
Fairfield $485,024 2
Fairview $343,322 2
Frenchtown $204,618 1
Hamilton $1,059,000 4
Irvington $1,801,872 9
Orange $964,875 5
Paterson $3,747,375 25
Paulsboro $206,900 1
Pennsauken $1,002,720 4
Pleasantville $834,531 3
Salem $240,419 1
Trenton $2,959,380 18
Union $2,209,264 8
Wildwood $819,120 3
TOTAL $26,813,422 123
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