To improve public safety through increased law enforcement presence and enhanced public safety equipment and programs, and for other purposes.

Summary: Shield Our Streets Act of 2012 - Authorizes the Attorney General to carry out a program, through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, to award grants to assist eligible local law enforcement agencies with hiring and training new law enforcement officers and with rehiring career law enforcement officers who have been laid off as a result of budget reductions.

Defines an "eligible" local law enforcement agency as one that has jurisdiction over all or part of a county or other unit of local government that has a violent crime rate at or above the national average and that has had budget reductions during the most recent five-year period (elevated need locality).

Authorizes the Attorney General to carry out a program to award grants to units of local government that have jurisdiction over all or part of an elevated need locality to enhance public safety in such jurisdictions, including by: (1) purchasing public safety equipment, (2) funding public safety programs, (3) making infrastructure improvements, (4) purchasing and installing lights to deter crime, (5) funding activities related to crime labs, and (6) funding public defender programs. Authorizes such grants to nonprofit organizations that operate in elevated need localities to carry out programs designed to reduce crime in such areas.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; DEFINITIONS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Shield Our Streets 
Act of 2012''.
    (b) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Elevated need locality.--The term ``elevated need 
        locality'' means a county or other unit of local government 
        that is not part of a county that--
                    (A) has a violent crime rate at or above the 
                national average, as determined by the Federal Bureau 
                of Investigation; and
                    (B) has, during the most recent 5-year period, had 
                budget reductions.
            (2) Unit of local government.--The term ``unit of local 
        government'' has the meaning given such term in section 901 of 
        title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 
        1968 (42 U.S.C. 3791).

SEC. 2. SHIELD POLICE HIRING GRANTS.

    (a) In General.--The Attorney General is authorized to carry out a 
program, through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, to 
award grants to eligible local law enforcement agencies to assist such 
agencies with hiring and rehiring career law enforcement officers in 
accordance with this section.
    (b) Eligible Local Law Enforcement Agencies.--For the purposes of 
this section, an ``eligible local law enforcement agency'' is a local 
law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction over all or part of an 
elevated need locality.
    (c) Use of Funds.--Grant funds awarded under this section shall be 
used by an eligible local law enforcement agency to--
            (1) hire and train new career law enforcement officers for 
        deployment in the jurisdiction of the agency; or
            (2) rehire career law enforcement officers who have been 
        laid off as a result of Federal, State, or local budget 
        reductions.
    (d) Grant Period.--Each grant awarded under this section shall be 
for a period of 3 years and may be extended or renewed for an 
additional 2-year period at the discretion of the Attorney General.
    (e) Technical Assistance.--The Attorney General shall provide 
technical assistance to eligible local law enforcement agencies during 
the application process and while such agencies are carrying out grants 
under this section.
    (f) No Matching Requirement.--An eligible local law enforcement 
agency receiving a grant under this section shall not be required to 
provide any portion of the costs, in cash or in-kind, of the activities 
carried out with such grant from non-Federal funds.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to any other 
funds authorized to be appropriated for hiring and rehiring local law 
enforcement officers, there are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this section $100,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2013 through 
2018.

SEC. 3. SHIELD PUBLIC SAFETY ENHANCEMENT GRANTS.

    (a) In General.--The Attorney General is authorized to carry out a 
program to award grants to eligible organizations to enhance public 
safety through the activities described in subsection (c).
    (b) Eligible Organizations.--For the purposes of this section, an 
``eligible organization'' is--
            (1) a unit of local government that has jurisdiction over 
        all or part of an elevated need locality; or
            (2) a nonprofit organization that operates in one or more 
        elevated need localities.
    (c) Authorized Activities.--Grant funds awarded under this section 
shall be used as follows:
            (1) With respect to an eligible organization described in 
        subsection (b)(1), to enhance public safety in the jurisdiction 
        of the organization. Such enhancement may include--
                    (A) purchasing public safety equipment;
                    (B) funding public safety programs;
                    (C) making infrastructure improvements for the 
                purpose of enhancing public safety;
                    (D) purchasing and installing street lights and 
                other lights to deter crime;
                    (E) funding activities related to crime labs; and
                    (F) funding public defender programs.
            (2) With respect to an eligible organization described in 
        subsection (b)(2), to carry out programs designed to reduce 
        crime in one or more of the counties or cities under subsection 
        (b)(2).
    (d) Grant Period.--Each grant awarded under this section shall be 
for a period of one year and may be extended or renewed for an 
additional period at the discretion of the Attorney General.
    (e) Technical Assistance.--The Attorney General shall provide 
technical assistance to eligible organizations during the application 
process and while such organizations are carrying out grants under this 
section.
    (f) No Matching Requirement.--An eligible organization receiving a 
grant under this section shall not be required to provide any portion 
of the costs, in cash or in-kind, of the activities carried out with 
such grant from non-Federal funds.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to any other 
funds authorized to be appropriated for public safety enhancement by 
eligible organizations, there are authorized to be appropriated to 
carry out this section $100,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2013 
through 2018.