The United States Department of Justice recently announced that Livingston County will receive $375,000 through its Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), which will allow the County to hire additional law enforcement professionals.
“We are thrilled to be one of only four agencies in New York State selected by the Department of Justice for this financial award,” stated Sheriff Thomas J. Dougherty. “This funding will bolster our robust community relations programming and allows us to create additional opportunities to engage with people throughout the County. The residents of Livingston County are our best partners in both preventing and solving crime and this grant will allow us to take that partnership to the next level.”
The only county agency in the state to be awarded funding through COPS, Livingston County Administrator Ian M. Coyle credited the selection to the Sheriff’s Office’s high level of community engagement and dedication.
“We fully support our police and our Sheriff’s Office and hold public safety as an important community ideal and a vital public service,” he said. “We are grateful for the Federal support and the Department of Justice’s acknowledgement of our willingness to work even more acutely in the community to make Livingston County safer and stronger.”
The Sheriff’s Office has a long-standing history of community policing throughout the County as it partners with local schools, businesses, municipalities and others to help reduce crime and improve quality of life. Through initiatives like the FAIR Program, Operation Safe Child, Yellow Dot Program, Victim Impact Panel, TRIAD/SALT Program, Anti-Bullying and Drug Task Forces, virtual neighborhood watch programs and other innovative community-based services, the Sheriff’s Office has established trust and mutual respect throughout the County.
“We are proud of the County’s efforts to make Livingston County a great place to live, work and play,” added David LeFeber, Chairman of the Livingston County Board of Supervisors. “With the national and state conversation often focused on crime, we are blessed and fortunate to have a very safe community. While this situation is one that relies on resident vigilance, business support and overall neighborliness, we could not maintain these standards without a professional law enforcement presence and criminal justice partners. Community policing has always been an important component of our Sheriff’s Office and these funds will further enhance these efforts. This recognition from the Department of Justice is appreciated.”
Since its creation in 1994, COPS has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 136,000 officers. CHP, COPS’ flagship program, continues to be in demand today: In FY22, COPS received 711 applications requesting more than 2,800 law enforcement positions.
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