COPS Hiring Grants: An Unnecessary and Ineffective Program

David B. Muhlhausen / February 15, 2011

House Republicans are attempting to live up to their pledge to cut $100 billion from the federal government’s current fiscal year 2011 budget. One of the proposed programs placed on the chopping block is the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) hiring grants.

Created in the middle of President Bill Clinton’s first term, COPS promised to add 100,000 new state and local law enforcement officers on the street by 2000. Research by The Heritage Foundation has demonstrated that COPS failed to add 100,000 additional officers to America’s streets and was ineffective at reducing crime.

Lamenting the current attempt of House Republicans to start exercising some semblance of fiscal responsibility, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D–NV) stated: (more…)