59–006 

110TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 110–150 

COPS IMPROVEMENTS ACT OF 2007 

MAY 14, 2007.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 

the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. CONYERS, from the Committee on the Judiciary, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

together with 

ADDITIONAL VIEWS 

[To accompany H.R. 1700] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill 

(H.R. 1700) to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets 

Act of 1968 to enhance the COPS ON THE BEAT grant program, 

and for other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment and recommends that the bill as 

amended do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

The Amendment ...................................................................................................... 2 

Purpose and Summary ............................................................................................ 5 

Background and Need for the Legislation ............................................................. 6 

Hearings ................................................................................................................... 7 

Committee Consideration ........................................................................................ 7 

Committee Votes ...................................................................................................... 8 

Committee Oversight Findings ............................................................................... 8 

New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures ...................................................... 8 

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate .......................................................... 8 

Performance Goals and Objectives ......................................................................... 10 

Constitutional Authority Statement ...................................................................... 10 

Advisory on Earmarks ............................................................................................. 10 

Section-by-Section Analysis .................................................................................... 10 

Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported ..................................... 11 

Additional Views ...................................................................................................... 19 


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THE AMENDMENT

The amendment is as follows: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘COPS Improvements Act of 2007’’. 

SEC. 2. COPS GRANT IMPROVEMENTS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1701 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets 

Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd) is amended— (1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows: ‘‘(a) GRANT AUTHORIZATION.—The Attorney General shall carry out grant programs under which the Attorney General makes grants to States, units of local government, Indian tribal governments, other public and private entities, multi-jurisdictional or regional consortia, and individuals for the purposes described in subsections (b), (c), (d), and (e).’’; 

(2) in subsection (b)— (A) by striking the subsection heading text and inserting ‘‘COMMUNITY

POLICING AND CRIME PREVENTION GRANTS’’; 

(B) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘, to increase the number of officers deployed in community-oriented policing’’; 

(C) by amending paragraph (4) to read as follows: ‘‘(4) award grants to pay for or train officers hired to perform intelligence, 

anti-terror, or homeland security duties;’’. (D) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following: ‘‘(5) award grants to hire school resource officers and to establish school-based 

partnerships between local law enforcement agencies and local school systems 

to combat crime, gangs, drug activities, and other problems in and around elementary and secondary schools;’’; 

(E) by striking paragraph (9); 

(F) by redesignating paragraphs (10) through (12) as paragraphs (9) 

through (11), respectively; 

(G) by striking paragraph (13); 

(H) by redesignating paragraphs (14) through (17) as paragraphs (12) 

through (15), respectively; 

(I) in paragraph (14), as so redesignated, by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(J) in paragraph (15), as so redesignated, by striking the period at the 

end and inserting a semicolon; and 

(K) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(16) establish and implement innovative programs to reduce and prevent illegal drug manufacturing, distribution, and use, including the manufacturing, 

distribution, and use of methamphetamine; ‘‘(17) establish criminal gang enforcement task forces, consisting of members 

of Federal, State, and local law enforcement authorities (including Federal, 

State, and local prosecutors), for the coordinated investigation, disruption, apprehension, and prosecution of criminal gangs and offenders involved in local 

or multi-jurisdictional gang activities; and 

‘‘(18) award enhancing community policing and crime prevention grants that 

meet emerging law enforcement needs, as warranted.’’; 

(3) by striking subsection (c); 

(4) by striking subsections (h) and (i); 

(5) by redesignating subsections (d) through (g) as subsections (f) through (i), 

respectively; 

(6) by inserting after subsection (b) the following: 

‘‘(c) TROOPS-TO-COPS PROGRAMS.—

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Grants made under subsection (a) may be used to hire 

former members of the Armed Forces to serve as career law enforcement officers 

for deployment in community-oriented policing, particularly in communities 

that are adversely affected by a recent military base closing. 

‘‘(2) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, ‘former member of the Armed Forces’

means a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who has been honorably discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States. 

‘‘(d) COMMUNITY PROSECUTORS PROGRAM.—The Attorney General may make 

grants under subsection (a) to pay for additional community prosecuting programs, 

including programs that assign prosecutors to—

‘‘(1) handle cases from specific geographic areas; and 

‘‘(2) address counter-terrorism problems, specific violent crime problems (including intensive illegal gang, gun, and drug enforcement and quality of life iniVerDate Aug 31 2005 23:03 May 14, 2007 Jkt 059006 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6621 E:\HR\OC\HR150.XXX HR150

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tiatives), and localized violent and other crime problems based on needs identified by local law enforcement agencies, community organizations, and others. 

‘‘(e) TECHNOLOGY GRANTS.—The Attorney General may make grants under subsection (a) to develop and use new technologies (including interoperable communications technologies, modernized criminal record technology, and forensic technology) 

to assist State and local law enforcement agencies in reorienting the emphasis of 

their activities from reacting to crime to preventing crime and to train law enforcement officers to use such technologies.’’; 

(7) in subsection (f), as so redesignated—

(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘to States, units of local government, Indian tribal governments, and to other public and private entities,’’; 

(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘define for State and local governments, 

and other public and private entities,’’ and inserting ‘‘establish’’; 

(C) in the first sentence of paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘(including regional 

community policing institutes)’’ after ‘‘training centers or facilities’’; and 

(D) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(4) EXCLUSIVITY.—The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services shall 

be the exclusive component of the Department of Justice to perform the functions and activities specified in this paragraph.’’; 

(8) in subsection (g), as so redesignated, by striking ‘‘may utilize any component’’, and all that follows and inserting ‘‘shall use the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services of the Department of Justice in carrying out this part.’’; 

(9) in subsection (h), as so redesignated—

(A) by striking ‘‘subsection (a)’’ the first place that term appears and inserting ‘‘paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b)’’; and 

(B) by striking ‘‘in each fiscal year pursuant to subsection (a)’’ and inserting ‘‘in each fiscal year for purposes described in paragraph (1) and (2) of 

subsection (b)’’; 

(10) in subsection (i), as so redesignated—

(A) by striking ‘‘the Federal share shall decrease from year to year for 

up to 5 years’’ and inserting ‘‘unless the Attorney General waives the nonFederal contribution requirement as described in the preceding sentence, 

the non-Federal share of the costs of hiring or rehiring such officers may 

be less than 25 percent of such costs for any year during the grant period, 

provided that the non-Federal share of such costs shall not be less than 25 

percent in the aggregate for the entire grant period, but the State or local 

government should make an effort to increase the non-Federal share of 

such costs during the grant period’’; and 

(B) by adding at the end the following new sentence: ‘‘The preceding sentences shall not apply with respect to any program, project, or activity provided by a grant made pursuant to subsection (b)(4).’’; and 

(11) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(j) RETENTION OF ADDITIONAL OFFICER POSITIONS.—For any grant under paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (b) for hiring or rehiring career law enforcement officers, a grant recipient shall retain each additional law enforcement officer position 

created under that grant for not less than 12 months after the end of the period 

of that grant, unless the Attorney General waives, wholly or in part, the retention 

requirement of a program, project, or activity.’’. 

(b) APPLICATIONS.—Section 1702 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets 

Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd–1) is amended—

(1) in subsection (c)—

(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘, unless waived 

by the Attorney General’’ after ‘‘under this part shall’’; and 

(B) in paragraph (8), by striking ‘‘share of the cost’’ and all that follows 

and inserting ‘‘share of the costs during the grant period, how the applicant 

will maintain the increased hiring level of the law enforcement officers, and 

how the applicant will eventually assume responsibility for all of the costs 

for such officers;’’; and 

(2) by striking subsection (d). 

(c) RENEWAL OF GRANTS.—Section 1703 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 

Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd–2) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘SEC. 1703. RENEWAL OF GRANTS. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection (b), a grant made under this 

part may be renewed, without limitations on the duration of such renewal, to provide additional funds if the Attorney General determines that the funds made available to the recipient were used in a manner required under an approved application 

and if the recipient can demonstrate significant progress in achieving the objectives 

of the initial application. 


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‘‘(b) GRANTS FOR HIRING.—Grants made under this part for hiring or rehiring additional career law enforcement officers may be renewed for up to 5 years, except 

that the Attorney General may waive such 5-year limitation for good cause. ‘‘(c) NO COST EXTENSIONS.—Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b), the Attorney 

General may extend a grant period, without limitations as to the duration of such 

extension, to provide additional time to complete the objectives of the initial grant 

award.’’. (d) LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS.—Section 1704 of the Omnibus Crime Control 

and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd–3) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) by striking ‘‘that would, in the absence of Federal funds received 

under this part, be made available from State or local sources’’ and inserting ‘‘that the Attorney General determines would, in the absence of Federal 

funds received under this part, be made available for the purpose of the 

grant under this part from State or local sources’’; and 

(B) by adding at the end the following new sentence: ‘‘The preceding sentence shall not apply with respect to funds made available under this part 

by a grant made pursuant to subsection (a) for the purposes described in 

subsection (b)(4).’’; and 

(2) by striking subsection (c). 

(e) STUDY OF PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS.—Section 1705 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd–4) is amended by adding at the 

end the following new subsection: 

‘‘(d) STUDY OF PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS.—

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General shall provide for a scientific study 

of the effectiveness of the programs, projects, and activities funded under this 

part in reducing crime. 

‘‘(2) STUDY.—The Attorney General shall select one or more institutions of 

higher education, including historically Black colleges and universities, to conduct the study described in paragraph (1). 

‘‘(3) REPORTS.—Not later than 4 years after the date of the enactment of the 

COPS Improvements Act of 2007, the institution or institutions selected under 

paragraph (2) shall report the findings of the study described in paragraph (1) 

to the Attorney General. Not later than 30 days after the receipt of such report, 

the Attorney General shall report such findings to the appropriate committees 

of Congress, along with any recommendations the Attorney General may have 

relating to the effectiveness of the programs, projects, and activities funded 

under this part in reducing crime.’’. 

(f) ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS.—Section 1706 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 

Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd–5) is amended—

(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘revocation or suspension of funding’’ and inserting ‘‘enforcement actions’’; and 

(2) by striking ‘‘revoke or suspend’’ and all that follows and inserting ‘‘take 

any enforcement action available to the Department of Justice.’’. 

(g) DEFINITIONS.—Section 1709(1) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets 

Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd–8(1)) is amended by inserting ‘‘who is a sworn law 

enforcement officer’’ after ‘‘permanent basis’’. 

(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 1001(a)(11) of the Omnibus 

Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3793(a)(11)) is amended—

(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘1,047,119,000 for each of fiscal years 

2006 through 2009’’ and inserting ‘‘1,150,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 

through 2013’’; and 

(2) in subparagraph (B)—

(A) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘3 percent may be used for technical 

assistance under section 1701(d)’’ and inserting ‘‘5 percent may be used for 

technical assistance under section 1701(f)’’; and 

(B) by striking the second sentence and inserting the following: ‘‘Of the 

funds available for grants under part Q, not less than $600,000,000 shall 

be used for grants for the purposes specified in section 1701(b), not more 

than $200,000,000 shall be used for grants under section 1701(d), and not 

more than $350,000,000 shall be used for grants under section 1701(e).’’. 

(i) PURPOSES.—Section 10002 of the Public Safety Partnership and Community 

Policing Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd note) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘development’’ and inserting ‘‘use’’; and 

(2) in the matter following paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘for a period of 6 years’’. 

(j) COPS PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 109(b) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 

Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3712h(b)) is amended—

(A) by striking paragraph (1); 


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(B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively; and 

(C) in paragraph (2), as so redesignated, by inserting ‘‘, except for the program under part Q of this title’’ before the period. 

(2) LAW ENFORCEMENT COMPUTER SYSTEMS.—Section 107 of the Omnibus 

Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3712f) is amended by 

adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(c) EXCEPTION.—This section shall not apply to any grant made under part Q of 

this title.’’. 

SEC. 3. REPORT BY INSPECTOR GENERAL REQUIRED. 

(a) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

the Inspector General of the Department of Justice shall submit to Congress a report on the Public Safety and Community Policing (‘‘COPS ON THE BEAT’’) grant 

program authorized by part Q of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 

Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd et seq.), including the elements described in 

subsection (b). 

(b) ELEMENTS OF REPORT.—The report submitted under subsection (a) shall include information on the following, with respect to the grant program described in 

such subsection: 

(1) The effect of the program on the rate of violent crime, drug offenses, and 

other crimes. 

(2) The degree to which State and local governments awarded a grant under 

the program contribute State and local funds, respectively, for law enforcement 

programs and activities. 

(3) Any waste, fraud, or abuse within the program. 

(c) RANDOM SAMPLING REQUIRED.—For purposes of subsection (a), the Inspector 

General of the Department of Justice shall audit and review a random sampling of 

State and local law enforcement agencies. Such sampling shall include—

(1) law enforcement agencies of various sizes; 

(2) law enforcement agencies that serve various populations; and 

(3) law enforcement agencies that serve areas of various crime rates. 

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

The Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing 

Services (‘‘COPS Office’’) promotes community policing by funding 

efforts by State and local authorities intended to put law enforcement professionals where they are most needed—on the streets—

so they can build mutually beneficial relationships with the people 

they serve. COPS helps communities better utilize their law enforcement professionals to make our Nation safer. 

H.R. 1700, the ‘‘COPS Improvements Act of 2007,’’ reauthorizes 

the COPS Office and reinvigorates its ability to accomplish its critical mission by establishing three grant programs: (1) the Troopsto-Cops Program, (2) the Community Prosecutors Program, and (3) 

the Technology Grants Program. The Troops-to-Cops Program 

would fund the hiring of former members of the Armed Forces to 

serve as law enforcement officers in community-oriented policing, 

particularly in communities adversely affected by recent military 

base closings. The Community Prosecutors Program would authorize the Attorney General to make grants for additional community 

prosecuting programs that would, for example, assign prosecutors 

to pursue cases from specific geographic areas and to deal with localized violent crime, among other crimes. The Technology Grants 

Program would authorize the Attorney General to make grants to 

develop and use new technologies to assist State and local law enforcement agencies reorient some of their efforts from reacting to 

crime to preventing crime. 


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1Pub. L. No. 103–322 (1994). 2Pub. L. No. 109–162 (2006). 3 U.S. Dep’t of Justice—Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, Mission, at http:// 

www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=35. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR THE LEGISLATION

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COPS OFFICE

A component of the Department of Justice, the COPS Office was 

established pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (Crime Control Act) 1 and was thereafter reauthorized as part of the Violence Against Women and Department 

of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (VAWA Reauthorization 

Act).2

The COPS Office’s mission is to ‘‘[a]dvance the practice of community policing as an effective strategy in communities’ efforts to 

improve public safety.’’ 3 It accomplishes this critical objective by 

awarding grants to State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies throughout the United States so they can hire and train law 

enforcement officers to participate in community policing, purchase 

and deploy new crime-fighting technologies, and develop and test 

innovative policing strategies. Since 1995, the COPS Office has 

awarded more than $11.4 billion to approximately 13,000 law enforcement agencies across the United States. As of the end of fiscal 

year 2004, the COPS Office has funded more than 118,000 community policing programs. 

In 1995, the first fiscal year of its operation, the COPS Office was appropriated $1.3 billion. In the next few years, the agency received modest increases. In fiscal year 2000, however, its funding 

was dramatically reduced by more than half to $595 million. The 

Administration’s current funding request for fiscal year 2008 (in the approximate amount of $38 million) represents a further drastic reduction. 

VIOLENT CRIME TRENDS

During the 1990’s, the crime rate for all categories of crime and 

in all parts of the United States dropped dramatically. For example, homicide rates in 2001 had plunged 43% from their peak in 

1991, reaching their lowest level in 35 years. The same trend was 

seen in every major crime category. 

After a decade of decline, however, violent crime is now increasing in many cities across the Nation. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), crime in the United States increased 

in the first half of 2006 by 3.7% compared to the previous year. 

During this period, murder increased by 1.4%, and robbery increased by 9.7%. In addition, a report released by the Police Executive Research Forum earlier this year identified a dramatic increase in violent crime among 56 jurisdictions surveyed. The 

Forum survey reported a 12.27% increase in robberies and a 

10.21% increase in homicides. 

Although national crime rates are rising, the FBI is in the process of re-directing its agents to focus more on pursuing 

counterterrorism efforts rather than investigating local crimes. 

Local law enforcement officials have been left to their own devices 

to fill the gaps that have been created as a result of the FBI’s reassignment of these agents. 


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H.R. 1700 addresses the escalation in violent crime and increasing void in law enforcement resources created by the FBI’s realignment of its priorities in several respects. First, it establishes hiring 

grants for community policing officers, anti-terror officers, and 

school resource officers, as well as other public safety grants that 

may be awarded. It also provides incentives for local law enforcement agencies to establish and implement innovative programs to 

reduce and prevent the manufacturing, distribution, and use of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine. 

Second, H.R. 1700 re-authorizes the Troops-to-COPS Program, 

which awards grants designed to hire former members of the 

Armed Forces as career law enforcement officers. Initially authorized as part of the Crime Control Act in 1994, this Program was 

eliminated in the VAWA Reauthorization Act in 2005. 

Third, H.R. 1700 establishes a Community Prosecutors Program 

to pay for additional community programs to assist prosecutors in 

pursuing cases from specific geographic areas and address counterterror matters, specific violent crime problems, and localized violent crimes, as well as other crimes. 

Fourth, H.R. 1700 creates a Technology Grants Program to 

award grants for the purpose of developing and using new technologies, including interoperable communications technologies, 

modernized criminal records technology, and forensic technology, to 

assist State and local law enforcement agencies in reorienting more 

of the emphasis of their activities from reacting to crime to preventing crime. The grants would also be used to train law enforcement officers in how to use such technologies. 

Finally, to implement these reforms, the bill authorizes $1.15 billion per year in grants over the course of the next five fiscal years. 

It also increases the portion available for training and technical assistance from 3% to 5%, and specifies certain amounts to be made 

available for hiring officers ($600 million), hiring prosecutors ($200 

million), and technology grants ($350 million). 

HEARINGS

The Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security held 1 day of hearings on H.R. 1700 on April 24, 

2007. Testimony was received from Laurie Robinson, Director, 

Master of Science Program, Department of Criminology at the University of Pennsylvania; Douglas H. Palmer, Mayor of Trenton, 

New Jersey and President of the United States Conference of Mayors; Edmund H. Mosca, Chief of Police, Old Saybrook Department 

of Police Services, Old Saybrook, Connecticut; Kamala D. Harris, 

District Attorney, City of San Francisco, California; Mark Epley, 

Senior Counsel, Office of the Deputy Attorney General, United 

States Department of Justice; and John Monaghan, Consultant, 

New York City Law Department. 

COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

On April 26, 2007, the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and 

Homeland Security met in open session and ordered the bill, H.R. 

1700, favorably reported by voice vote, a quorum being present. On 

May 2, 2007, the Committee met in open session and ordered the 


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bill, H.R. 1700, favorably reported with an amendment, by voice 

vote, a quorum being present. 

COMMITTEE VOTES

In compliance with clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee advises that there were 

no recorded votes during the Committee’s consideration of H.R. 

1700. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee advises that the findings 

and recommendations of the Committee, based on oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, are incorporated in the descriptive portions of this report. 

NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY AND TAX EXPENDITURES

Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is inapplicable because this legislation does not provide new 

budgetary authority or increased tax expenditures. 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

In compliance with clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee sets forth, with respect to 

the bill, H.R. 1700, the following estimate and comparison prepared 

by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 

402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: 

U.S. CONGRESS, CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, Washington, DC, May 4, 2007. 

Hon. JOHN CONYERS, Jr., Chairman, 

Committee on the Judiciary, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1700, the COPS Improvements Act of 2007. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark Grabowicz, who 

can be reached at 226–2860. 

Sincerely, 

PETER R. ORSZAG, 

DIRECTOR. 

Enclosure 

cc: Honorable Lamar S. Smith. 

Ranking Member 

H.R. 1700—COPS Improvements Act of 2007. 

SUMMARY

H.R. 1700 would make many changes to the laws relating to the 

distribution and permitted uses of Community Oriented Policing 


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Services (COPS) grants and would increase the authorization level 

for this program from $1.047 billion annually to $1.15 billion annually through fiscal year 2013 (funding for this program is currently 

authorized through 2009). Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1700 would 

cost $1.5 billion over the 2008–2012 period, with additional 

amounts spent after 2012. Enacting the bill would not affect direct 

spending or receipts. 

H.R. 1700 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) 

and would impose no costs on State, local, or tribal governments. 

ESTIMATED COST TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

The estimated budgetary impact of H.R. 1700 is shown in the following table. For this estimate, CBO assumes that the authorized 

amounts will be appropriated by the beginning of each fiscal year, 

starting with fiscal year 2008, and that outlays will follow the historical spending rates for these activities. We also assume that 

there will be no additional appropriations enacted for fiscal year 

2007 for the COPS program. The cost of this legislation falls within 

budget function 750 (administration of justice). 

By Fiscal Year, in Millions of Dollars 

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 

SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION 

Spending Under Current Law for COPS Grants 

Budget Authority/Authorization Level1 542 1,047 1,047 0 0 0 

Estimated Outlays 749 644 717 721 553 366 

Proposed Changes 

Authorization Level 0 103 103 1,150 1,150 1,150 

Estimated Outlays 0 12 41 193 506 784 

Spending Under H.R. 1700 for COPS Grants 

Budget Authority/Authorization Level 542 1,150 1,150 1,150 1,150 1,150 

Estimated Outlays 749 656 758 914 1,059 1,150 

1. The 2007 level is the amount appropriated for that year for COPS grants. The levels shown for 2008 and 2009 are the 

amounts authorized by current law. 

INTERGOVERNMENTAL AND PRIVATE-SECTOR IMPACT

H.R. 1700 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in UMRA and would impose no costs on State, 

local, or tribal governments. It would alter a program available to 

those governments for buying equipment, using law enforcement 

technology, and hiring more police officers. It also would increase 

the authorization level for fiscal years 2008 and 2009 and would 

authorize funding for fiscal years 2010 through 2013. Assuming the 

appropriation of authorized amounts, those governments would receive about $4.5 billion over the 2008–2012 period. Any costs to 

those governments would be incurred voluntarily as a condition of 

receiving federal assistance. 

PREVIOUS CBO ESTIMATE

On March 21, 2007, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 368, 

the COPS Improvements Act of 2007, as ordered reported by the 

Senate Committee on the Judiciary on March 15, 2007. That bill 


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would increase the authorization level for the COPS program to 

$1.15 billion annually through 2009, and we estimated that implementing S. 368 would cost $190 million over the 2007–2012 period. 

ESTIMATE PREPARED BY: 

Federal Costs: Mark Grabowicz (226–2860) 

Impact on State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Melissa Merrell 

(225–3220) 

Impact on the Private Sector: Amy Petz (226–2940) 

ESTIMATE APPROVED BY: 

Peter H. Fontaine 

Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis 

[insert CBO estimate] 

PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The Committee states that pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the goal of H.R. 1700 

is to lower national crime rates by expanding the authority of the 

Attorney General to make grants for public safety and community 

policing. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, the Committee finds the authority for this legislation in article I, section 8 of the Constitution. 

ADVISORY ON EARMARKS

In accordance with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, H.R. 1700 does not contain any congressional 

earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined 

in clause 9(d), 9(e), or 9(f) of Rule XXI. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

The following discussion describes the bill as reported by the 

Committee. 

Sec. 1. Short title. Section 1 sets forth the short title of the bill 

as the ‘‘COPS Improvements Act of 2007.’’

Sec. 2. Cops Grants Improvements. Section 2 makes several 

amendments to the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act 

of 1968 regarding public safety and community policing grants and 

authorizes the Attorney General to carry out the grant programs 

through fiscal year 2013. 

It establishes hiring grants for community policing officers, antiterror officers and school resource officers, as well as other public 

safety grants. It also provides incentives for local law enforcement 

agencies to establish and implement innovative programs to reduce 

and prevent the manufacture, distribution, and use of illegal drugs, 

including methamphetamine. 

Section 2 also establishes the Troops-to-COPS Program, which 

awards grants designed to hire former members of the Armed 

Forces as career law enforcement officers. In addition, section 2 establishes a Community Prosecutors Program to pay for additional 


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11 

community programs to assist prosecutors in pursuing cases from 

specific geographic areas and address counter-terror matters, specific violent crime problems, and localized violent crimes, as well as 

other crimes. Section 2 further creates a Technology Grants Program to award grants for the purpose of developing and using new 

technologies, including interoperable communications technologies, 

modernized criminal record technology, and forensic technology, to 

assist State and local law enforcement agencies in reorienting more 

of the emphasis of their activities from reacting to crime to preventing crime. The grants would also be used to train law enforcement officers in how to use such technologies. To implement these reforms, section 2 authorizes $1.15 billion 

per year in grants over the course of the next five fiscal years. It 

also increases the portion available for training and technical assistance from 3% to 5%, and specifies certain amounts to be made 

available for hiring officers ($600 million), hiring prosecutors ($200 

million), and technology grants ($350 million). 

Sec. 3. Report by DOJ Inspector General Required. Section 3 requires the Department of Justice’s Inspector General to submit a 

report to Congress within 180 days of the date of enactment of the 

Act on the effect of the COPS program in reducing the rate of violent crime. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, 

as reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italics, 

existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman): 

OMNIBUS CRIME CONTROL AND 

SAFE STREETS ACT OF 1968 

* * * * * * * 

TITLE I—JUSTICE SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT 

PART A—OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 107. DIVISION OF APPLIED LAW ENFORCEMENT TECHNOLOGY. 

(a) * * * 

* * * * * * * 

(c) EXCEPTION.—This section shall not apply to any grant made 

under part Q of this title. 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 109. OFFICE OF AUDIT, ASSESSMENT, AND MANAGEMENT. 

(a) * * * 

(b) COVERED PROGRAMS.—The programs referred to in subsection (a) are the following: 

ø(1) The program under part Q of this title.¿ 

ø(2)¿ (1) Any grant program carried out by the Office of 

Justice Programs. 


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ø(3)¿ (2) Any other grant program carried out by the Department of Justice that the Attorney General considers appropriate, except for the program under part Q of this title. 

* * * * * * * 

PART J—FUNDING

AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS

SEC. 1001. (a)(1) * * * 

* * * * * * * 

(11)(A) There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

part Q, to remain available until expended ø$1,047,119,000 for 

each of fiscal years 2006 through 2009¿ $1,150,000,000 for each of 

fiscal years 2008 through 2013. 

(B) Of funds available under part Q in any fiscal year, up to 

ø3 percent may be used for technical assistance under section 

1701(d)¿ 5 percent may be used for technical assistance under section 1701(f) or for evaluations or studies carried out or commissioned by the Attorney General in furtherance of the purposes of 

part Q. øOf the remaining funds, 50 percent shall be allocated for 

grants pursuant to applications submitted by units of local government or law enforcement agencies having jurisdiction over areas 

with populations exceeding 150,000 or by public and private entities that serve areas with populations exceeding 150,000, and 50 

percent shall be allocated for grants pursuant to applications submitted by units of local government or law enforcement agencies 

having jurisdiction over areas with populations 150,000 or less or 

by public and private entities that serve areas with populations 

150,000 or less.¿ Of the funds available for grants under part Q, 

not less than $600,000,000 shall be used for grants for the purposes 

specified in section 1701(b), not more than $200,000,000 shall be 

used for grants under section 1701(d), and not more than 

$350,000,000 shall be used for grants under section 1701(e). In view 

of the extraordinary need for law enforcement assistance in Indian 

country, an appropriate amount of funds available under part Q 

shall be made available for grants to Indian tribal governments or 

tribal law enforcement agencies. 

* * * * * * * 

PART Q—PUBLIC SAFETY AND COMMUNITY 

POLICING; ‘‘COPS ON THE BEAT’’

SEC. 1701. AUTHORITY TO MAKE PUBLIC SAFETY AND COMMUNITY 

POLICING GRANTS. 

ø(a) GRANT AUTHORIZATION.—The Attorney General shall carry 

out a single grant program under which the Attorney General 

makes grants to States, units of local government, Indian tribal 

governments, other public and private entities, and multi-jurisdictional or regional consortia for the purposes described in subsection 

(b).¿ 

(a) GRANT AUTHORIZATION.—The Attorney General shall carry 

out grant programs under which the Attorney General makes grants 

to States, units of local government, Indian tribal governments, 


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other public and private entities, multi-jurisdictional or regional 

consortia, and individuals for the purposes described in subsections 

(b), (c), (d), and (e). 

(b) øUSES OF GRANT AMOUNTS¿ COMMUNITY POLICING AND

CRIME PREVENTION GRANTS.—The purposes for which grants made 

under subsection (a) may be made are—

(1) * * * 

* * * * * * * 

(3) procure equipment, technology, or support systems, or 

pay overtimeø, to increase the number of officers deployed in 

community-oriented policing¿; 

ø(4) award grants to pay for offices hired to perform intelligence, anti-terror, or homeland security duties;¿ 

(4) award grants to pay for or train officers hired to perform intelligence, anti-terror, or homeland security duties; 

(5) award grants to hire school resource officers and to establish school-based partnerships between local law enforcement agencies and local school systems to combat crime, gangs, 

drug activities, and other problems in and around elementary 

and secondary schools; 

* * * * * * * 

ø(9) develop new technologies, including interoperable 

communications technologies, modernized criminal record technology, and forensic technology, to assist State and local law 

enforcement agencies in reorienting the emphasis of their activities from reacting to crime to preventing crime and to train 

law enforcement officers to use such technologies;¿ 

ø(10)¿ (9) develop and implement innovative programs to 

permit members of the community to assist State and local law 

enforcement agencies in the prevention of crime in the community, such as a citizens’ police academy, including programs designed to increase the level of access to the criminal justice 

system enjoyed by victims, witnesses, and ordinary citizens by 

establishing decentralized satellite offices (including video facilities) of principal criminal courts buildings; 

ø(11)¿ (10) establish innovative programs to reduce, and 

keep to a minimum, the amount of time that law enforcement 

officers must be away from the community while awaiting 

court appearances; 

ø(12)¿ (11) establish and implement innovative programs 

to increase and enhance proactive crime control and prevention 

programs involving law enforcement officers and young persons 

in the community; 

ø(13) establish school-based partnerships between local 

law enforcement agencies and local school systems by using 

school resource officers who operate in and around elementary 

and secondary schools to combat school-related crime and disorder problems, gangs, and drug activities;¿ 

ø(14)¿ (12) develop and establish new administrative and 

managerial systems to facilitate the adoption of community-oriented policing as an organization-wide philosophy; 

ø(15)¿ (13) assist a State in enforcing a law throughout the 

State which requires that a convicted sex offender register his 


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or her address with a State or local law enforcement agency 

and be subject to criminal prosecution for failure to comply; 

ø(16)¿ (14) establish, implement, and coordinate crime prevention and control programs (involving law enforcement officers working with community members) with other Federal 

programs that serve the community and community members 

to better address the comprehensive needs of the community 

and its members; øand¿ 

ø(17)¿ (15) support the purchase by a law enforcement 

agency of no more than 1 service weapon per officer, upon hiring for deployment in community-oriented policing or, if necessary, upon existing officers’ initial redeployment to community-oriented policingø.¿; 

(16) establish and implement innovative programs to reduce and prevent illegal drug manufacturing, distribution, and 

use, including the manufacturing, distribution, and use of 

methamphetamine; 

(17) establish criminal gang enforcement task forces, consisting of members of Federal, State, and local law enforcement 

authorities (including Federal, State, and local prosecutors), for 

the coordinated investigation, disruption, apprehension, and 

prosecution of criminal gangs and offenders involved in local or 

multi-jurisdictional gang activities; and 

(18) award enhancing community policing and crime prevention grants that meet emerging law enforcement needs, as 

warranted. 

ø(c) PREFERENTIAL CONSIDERATION OF APPLICATIONS FOR CER- TAIN GRANTS.—In awarding grants under this part, the Attorney 

General may give preferential consideration, where feasible, to applications for hiring and rehiring additional career law enforcement 

officers that involve a non-Federal contribution exceeding the 25 

percent minimum under subsection (g).¿ 

(c) TROOPS-TO-COPS PROGRAMS.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Grants made under subsection (a) may be 

used to hire former members of the Armed Forces to serve as 

career law enforcement officers for deployment in communityoriented policing, particularly in communities that are adversely affected by a recent military base closing. 

(2) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, ‘‘former member of the 

Armed Forces’’ means a member of the Armed Forces of the 

United States who has been honorably discharged from the 

Armed Forces of the United States. 

(d) COMMUNITY PROSECUTORS PROGRAM.—The Attorney General may make grants under subsection (a) to pay for additional 

community prosecuting programs, including programs that assign 

prosecutors to—

(1) handle cases from specific geographic areas; and 

(2) address counter-terrorism problems, specific violent 

crime problems (including intensive illegal gang, gun, and drug 

enforcement and quality of life initiatives), and localized violent 

and other crime problems based on needs identified by local 

law enforcement agencies, community organizations, and others. 

(e) TECHNOLOGY GRANTS.—The Attorney General may make 

grants under subsection (a) to develop and use new technologies (inVerDate Aug 31 2005 23:03 May 14, 2007 Jkt 059006 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6603 E:\HR\OC\HR150.XXX HR150

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cluding interoperable communications technologies, modernized 

criminal record technology, and forensic technology) to assist State 

and local law enforcement agencies in reorienting the emphasis of 

their activities from reacting to crime to preventing crime and to 

train law enforcement officers to use such technologies. 

ø(d)¿ (f) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General may provide technical assistance øto States, units of local government, Indian 

tribal governments, and to other public and private entities,¿ 

in furtherance of the purposes of the Public Safety Partnership 

and Community Policing Act of 1994. 

(2) MODEL.—The technical assistance provided by the Attorney General may include the development of a flexible 

model that will ødefine for State and local governments, and 

other public and private entities,¿ establish definitions and 

strategies associated with community or problem-oriented policing and methodologies for its implementation. 

(3) TRAINING CENTERS AND FACILITIES.—The technical assistance provided by the Attorney General may include the establishment and operation of training centers or facilities (including regional community policing institutes), either directly 

or by contracting or cooperative arrangements. The functions of 

the centers or facilities established under this paragraph may 

include instruction and seminars for police executives, managers, trainers, supervisors, and such others as the Attorney 

General considers to be appropriate concerning community or 

problem-oriented policing and improvements in police-community interaction and cooperation that further the purposes of 

the Public Safety Partnership and Community Policing Act of 

1994. 

(4) EXCLUSIVITY.—The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services shall be the exclusive component of the Department 

of Justice to perform the functions and activities specified in 

this paragraph. 

ø(e)¿ (g) UTILIZATION OF COMPONENTS.—The Attorney General 

ømay utilize any component or components of the Department of 

Justice in carrying out this part.¿ shall use the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services of the Department of Justice in carrying out this part. 

ø(f)¿ (h) MINIMUM AMOUNT.—Unless all applications submitted 

by any State and grantee within the State pursuant to øsubsection 

(a)¿ paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b) have been funded, each 

qualifying State, together with grantees within the State, shall receive øin each fiscal year pursuant to subsection (a)¿ in each fiscal 

year for purposes described in paragraph (1) and (2) of subsection 

(b) not less than 0.5 percent of the total amount appropriated in 

the fiscal year for grants pursuant to that subsection. In this subsection, ‘‘qualifying State’’ means any State which has submitted 

an application for a grant, or in which an eligible entity has submitted an application for a grant, which meets the requirements 

prescribed by the Attorney General and the conditions set out in 

this part. 

ø(g)¿ (i) MATCHING FUNDS.—The portion of the costs of a program, project, or activity provided by a grant under subsection (a) 

may not exceed 75 percent, unless the Attorney General waives, 


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wholly or in part, the requirement under this subsection of a nonFederal contribution to the costs of a program, project, or activity. 

In relation to a grant for a period exceeding 1 year for hiring or 

rehiring career law enforcement officers, øthe Federal share shall 

decrease from year to year for up to 5 years¿ unless the Attorney 

General waives the non-Federal contribution requirement as described in the preceding sentence, the non-Federal share of the costs 

of hiring or rehiring such officers may be less than 25 percent of 

such costs for any year during the grant period, provided that the 

non-Federal share of such costs shall not be less than 25 percent in 

the aggregate for the entire grant period, but the State or local government should make an effort to increase the non-Federal share of 

such costs during the grant period, looking toward the continuation 

of the increased hiring level using State or local sources of funding 

following the conclusion of Federal support, as provided in an approved plan pursuant to section 1702(c)(8). The preceding sentences 

shall not apply with respect to any program, project, or activity provided by a grant made pursuant to subsection (b)(4). 

ø(h) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.—The funds available under this 

part shall be allocated as provided in section 1001(a)(11)(B). 

ø(i) TERMINATION OF GRANTS FOR HIRING OFFICERS.—The authority under subsection (a) of this section to make grants for the 

hiring and rehiring of additional career law enforcement officers 

shall lapse at the conclusion of 6 years from the date of enactment 

of this part. Prior to the expiration of this grant authority, the Attorney General shall submit a report to Congress concerning the 

experience with and effects of such grants. The report may include 

any recommendations the Attorney General may have for amendments to this part and related provisions of law in light of the termination of the authority to make grants for the hiring and rehiring of additional career law enforcement officers.¿ 

(j) RETENTION OF ADDITIONAL OFFICER POSITIONS.—For any 

grant under paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (b) for hiring or rehiring career law enforcement officers, a grant recipient shall retain 

each additional law enforcement officer position created under that 

grant for not less than 12 months after the end of the period of that 

grant, unless the Attorney General waives, wholly or in part, the retention requirement of a program, project, or activity. 

SEC. 1702. APPLICATIONS. 

(a) * * * 

* * * * * * * 

(c) CONTENTS.—In accordance with the regulations or guidelines established by the Attorney General, each application for a 

grant under this part shall, unless waived by the Attorney General— (1) * * * 

* * * * * * * 

(8) if the application is for a grant for hiring or rehiring 

additional career law enforcement officers, specify plans for the 

assumption by the applicant of a progressively larger øshare of 

the cost in the course of time, looking toward the continuation 

of the increased hiring level using State or local sources of 

funding following the conclusion of Federal support;¿ share of 

the costs during the grant period, how the applicant will mainVerDate Aug 31 2005 23:03 May 14, 2007 Jkt 059006 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\HR150.XXX HR150

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tain the increased hiring level of the law enforcement officers, 

and how the applicant will eventually assume responsibility for 

all of the costs for such officers; 

* * * * * * * 

ø(d) SPECIAL PROVISIONS.—

ø(1) SMALL JURISDICTIONS.—Notwithstanding any other 

provision of this part, in relation to applications under this 

part of units of local government or law enforcement agencies 

having jurisdiction over areas with populations of less than 

50,000, the Attorney General may waive 1 or more of the requirements of subsection (c) and may otherwise make special 

provisions to facilitate the expedited submission, processing, 

and approval of such applications. 

ø(2) SMALL GRANT AMOUNT.—Notwithstanding any other 

provision of this part, in relation to applications under section 

1701(b) for grants of less than $1,000,000, the Attorney General may waive 1 or more of the requirements of subsection (c) 

and may otherwise make special provisions to facilitate the expedited submission, processing, and approval of such applications. 

øSEC. 1703. RENEWAL OF GRANTS. 

ø(a) IN GENERAL.—Except for grants made for hiring or rehiring additional career law enforcement officers, a grant under this 

part may be renewed for up to 2 additional years after the first fiscal year during which a recipient receives its initial grant, if the 

Attorney General determines that the funds made available to the 

recipient were used in a manner required under an approved application and if the recipient can demonstrate significant progress in 

achieving the objectives of the initial application. 

ø(b) GRANTS FOR HIRING.—Grants made for hiring or rehiring 

additional career law enforcement officers may be renewed for up 

to 5 years, subject to the requirements of subsection (a), but notwithstanding the limitation in that subsection concerning the number of years for which grants may be renewed. 

ø(c) MULTIYEAR GRANTS.—A grant for a period exceeding 1 

year may be renewed as provided in this section, except that the 

total duration of such a grant including any renewals may not exceed 3 years, or 5 years if it is a grant made for hiring or rehiring 

additional career law enforcement officers.¿ 

SEC. 1703. RENEWAL OF GRANTS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection (b), a grant 

made under this part may be renewed, without limitations on the 

duration of such renewal, to provide additional funds if the Attorney General determines that the funds made available to the recipient were used in a manner required under an approved application 

and if the recipient can demonstrate significant progress in achieving the objectives of the initial application. 

(b) GRANTS FOR HIRING.—Grants made under this part for hiring or rehiring additional career law enforcement officers may be renewed for up to 5 years, except that the Attorney General may waive 

such 5-year limitation for good cause. 

(c) NO COST EXTENSIONS.—Notwithstanding subsections (a) 

and (b), the Attorney General may extend a grant period, without 


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limitations as to the duration of such extension, to provide additional time to complete the objectives of the initial grant award. 

SEC. 1704. LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS. 

(a) NONSUPPLANTING REQUIREMENT.—Funds made available 

under this part to States or units of local government shall not be 

used to supplant State or local funds, or, in the case of Indian tribal governments, funds supplied by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 

but shall be used to increase the amount of funds øthat would, in 

the absence of Federal funds received under this part, be made 

available from State or local sources¿ that the Attorney General determines would, in the absence of Federal funds received under this 

part, be made available for the purpose of the grant under this part 

from State or local sources, or in the case of Indian tribal governments, from funds supplied by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The 

preceding sentence shall not apply with respect to funds made available under this part by a grant made pursuant to subsection (a) for 

the purposes described in subsection (b)(4). 

* * * * * * * 

ø(c) HIRING COSTS.—Funding provided under this part for hiring or rehiring a career law enforcement officer may not exceed 

$75,000, unless the Attorney General grants a waiver from this 

limitation.¿ 

SEC. 1705. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION. 

(a) * * * 

* * * * * * * 

(d) STUDY OF PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General shall provide for a 

scientific study of the effectiveness of the programs, projects, 

and activities funded under this part in reducing crime. 

(2) STUDY.—The Attorney General shall select one or more 

institutions of higher education, including historically Black 

colleges and universities, to conduct the study described in 

paragraph (1). 

(3) REPORTS.—Not later than 4 years after the date of the 

enactment of the COPS Improvements Act of 2007, the institution or institutions selected under paragraph (2) shall report 

the findings of the study described in paragraph (1) to the Attorney General. Not later than 30 days after the receipt of such 

report, the Attorney General shall report such findings to the 

appropriate committees of Congress, along with any recommendations the Attorney General may have relating to the effectiveness of the programs, projects, and activities funded 

under this part in reducing crime. 

SEC. 1706. øREVOCATION OR SUSPENSION OF FUNDING¿ ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS. 

If the Attorney General determines, as a result of the reviews 

required by section 1705, or otherwise, that a grant recipient under 

this part is not in substantial compliance with the terms and requirements of an approved grant application submitted under section 1702, the Attorney General may ørevoke or suspend funding 


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of that grant, in whole or in part.¿ take any enforcement action 

available to the Department of Justice. 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 1709. DEFINITIONS. 

In this part— (1) ‘‘career law enforcement officer’’ means a person hired 

on a permanent basis who is a sworn law enforcement officer 

who is authorized by law or by a State or local public agency 

to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, or investigation of violations of criminal laws. 

* * * * * * * 

SECTION 10002 OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERSHIP 

AND COMMUNITY POLICING ACT OF 1994 

SEC. 10002. PURPOSES. 

The purposes of this title are to— (1) * * * 

* * * * * * * 

(4) encourage the ødevelopment¿ use of new technologies 

to assist State, Indian tribal government, and local law enforcement agencies in reorienting the emphasis of their activities from reacting to crime to preventing crime, 

by establishing a program of grants and assistance in furtherance 

of these objectives, including the authorization øfor a period of 6 

years¿ of grants for the hiring and rehiring of additional career law 

enforcement officers. 

ADDITIONAL VIEWS

We support H.R. 1700, the ‘‘COPS Improvements Act of 2007’’ as 

amended by the substitute. The bill as introduced, however, raises 

several concerns. We also have continuing concerns about the effectiveness of the COPS program in reducing the crime rate. 

The COPS program was created in Title I of the 1994 Crime Act. 

The COPS program awards grants to State, local, and tribal law 

enforcement agencies throughout the U.S. so they can hire new police officers, rehire officers who have been laid off because of local 

budget cuts, and procure new crime-fighting technology so that 

more officers can be deployed in the community. Since its inception, 

the COPS office has awarded more than $11.4 billion to over 

13,000 law enforcement agencies. 

Congress appropriated more than $1 billion annually for the 

COPS program from FY 1995–2002 (with the exception of $595 million in FY 2000). Although the Administration’s budget since FY 

2004 requested $100–$200 million, Congress has continued to appropriate higher levels of funding, albeit at decreasing amounts. 

From 1994–1998, most of the program’s budget was aimed at hiring more police officers. As the crime rate began to decline in the 

late 1990s, the emphasis of COPS funding shifted away from hiring 

and towards funding technology programs to help respond to crime 

and terrorism. 


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The actual number of officers put on the street under this program is in dispute. The COPS Office within the Department of Justice reported that it had ‘‘funded’’ 118,000 new police positions by 

the end of FY 2004. A review of the program by the White House’s 

Office of Management and Budget, however, said that the COPS 

program has put ‘‘fewer than 90,000’’ officers on the street. A University of Pennsylvania study in 2002 found that the number probably would wind up closer to 82,000—or 30% fewer cops than Department’s estimate. The Inspector General of the Department of 

Justice and the Government Accountability Office note that thousands of hires funded by the COPS program never materialized because law enforcement agencies used COPS funding to cover their 

own budget shortfalls. Looking at just 3% of all COPS grants, federal audits have alleged $277 million in misspent funds. 

The program’s effectiveness in reducing crime is also disputed. A 

2005 GAO report concluded that although ‘‘COPS expenditures led 

to increases in sworn police officers above levels that would have 

been expected without these expenditures and through the increases in sworn officers led to declines in crime, we conclude that 

COPS grants were not the major cause of the decline in crime from 

1994 through 2001.’’ The report estimates that the program contributed to only a 1.3 % decline in the overall crime rate and a 2.5 

% decline in the violent crime rate for the years 1993 to 2000. 

The majority touts this modest decrease in crime as a success, 

despite the fact that it came at a cost of $11 billion. However, a 

May 2006 Heritage Foundation study concluded that the COPS 

program has lead only to small reductions in crime, the benefits of 

which do not outweigh the cost of the COPS program. A Report of 

the Heritage Center for Data Analysis, Impact Evaluation of COPS 

Grants in Large Cities, at 13–15 (2006). 

H.R. 1700

As introduced, H.R. 1700 eliminated permanently any hope that 

community policing would, in fact, someday be funded by America’s 

communities. The bill stripped several provisions from current law 

regarding State, local or tribal government contributions to COPS 

programs and the duration of COPS grants. 

First, current law requires applicants to specify in their grant 

applications plans for assuming a progressively larger share of the 

cost of a COPS-funded program, ‘‘looking toward the continuation 

of the increased hiring level using State or local sources of funding 

following the conclusion of Federal support.’’ 42 U.S.C. § 3796dd1(b)(13). Current law also directs that the federal share of a grant 

for hiring or rehiring career law enforcement officers shall decrease 

from year to year, again with the intent that the State or local governments assume a larger share of the grant in anticipation of the 

conclusion of federal support. 

H.R. 1700 also stripped from current law a provision limiting the 

duration of COPS grants and replaced it with a provision allowing 

unlimited grant renewal. This too is directly contrary to the original intent of the COPS program—to provide short-term assistance 

to State, local and tribal governments to hire additional police officers. 


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Finally, despite inconsistent reports on the effectiveness of the COPS program, H.R. 1700 reauthorizes the program at $1.15 billion a year through 2013. 

AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE

We commend the majority for working with us to create a bipartisan substitute amendment that restores several critical and fiscally responsible provisions that H.R. 1700 stripped from current 

law. For instance, the substitute reinstates a renewal period for 

hiring and rehiring grants. Under current law, hiring and rehiring 

grants are initially awarded for one year and may be renewed for 

up to five years. H.R. 1700 replaced this with an unlimited renewal 

period. The substitute amendment included a compromise by which 

hiring grants may be awarded for up to five years but no renewal 

restriction is placed on non-hiring grants, such as technology 

grants. 

MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL GANG TASK FORCES

Mr. Forbes offered an amendment to add multi-jurisdictional 

gang task forces as a permissible purpose for COPS funding. The 

problem of gang violence in America is not a new one. Nor is it a 

problem that is limited to major urban areas. Once thought to be 

only a problem in our Nation’s largest cities, gangs have invaded 

smaller communities. According to the Department of Justice, there 

are currently over 25,000 gangs who are active in more than 3,000 

jurisdictions in the United States. Based on the latest available 

National Youth Gang Survey, it is now estimated that there are 

approximately 850,000 gang members. 

To put this in perspective, consider the following: the total number of active duty Navy and Army personnel is approximately 

859,000. This is virtually a one-on-one ratio to gang members in 

the United States. In fact, if the criminal gang members in the 

United States were a military force located in another country, 

they would comprise the 6th largest military in the world in terms 

of soldiers. 

The Forbes amendment helps State and local governments leverage their resources into task forces that can address the gang problem in a local community, a county, a State, across several States, 

or even nationwide. Community policing can be an effective program that tackles gang violence in each community, gathers important intelligence, and leads to information sharing and participation in a Federal, State and local task force. 

Gangs now resemble organized crime syndicates who commit gun 

violence, illegal gun trafficking, illegal drug trafficking and other 

serious crimes. More and more communities are suffering from 

gang violence, rival gang battles, innocent bystanders are tragically 

shot and law-abiding members of communities are prisoners in 

their own homes in fear of being caught in the cross-fire of gang 

violence. 

Some national-level street gangs are highly organized, with as 

many as 100,000 members and associates. The most highly organized, such as Latin Kings, Gangster Disciples, and Vice Lords, 

have centralized leadership cores that conspire to transport and 

distribute drugs throughout the country. Some prison gangs have 

evolved from ethnic-based protection gangs within the prison sysVerDate Aug 31 2005 23:03 May 14, 2007 Jkt 059006 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\HR150.XXX HR150

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tem to organized criminal enterprises that use their connections 

with Mexican drug trafficking organizations to traffic drugs 

throughout the country, particularly the West and Southwest Regions. 

The Committee adopted the amendment by voice vote. 

AMTRAK POLICE

Mr. Forbes offered an amendment to delete a provision from the 

bill that adds the Amtrak Police Department to the definition of 

‘‘career law enforcement officer.’’ The COPS program provides funding to State, local, and tribal governments to hire additional police 

officers, to implement new technologies, or to fund other community policing programs. The Amtrak Police serve an important 

function in protecting our railways. But a bill reauthorizing the 

COPS program is not the proper vehicle to address whatever additional funding the Amtrak Police may need. Expanding community 

policing grants to the Amtrak Police Department will open up the 

floodgates of demands from other federal law enforcement seeking 

to be included in the COPS program. 

The Committee adopted the amendment by voice vote. 

INSPECTOR GENERAL AUDIT

Mr. Forbes offered an amendment to direct the Inspector General 

of the Department of Justice to conduct an audit of the COPS program to review three areas: (1) the effect of the program on the 

rate of violent crime, (2) the degree to which COPS funding recipients contribute State or local funding to law enforcement programs 

and activities, and (3) any waste, fraud, or abuse within the COPS 

program. 

H.R. 1700 increases the authorization for the COPS program to 

$1.15 billion a year through 2013. The few studies that have been 

conducted in recent years have reach conflicting results on the effectiveness of the program in reducing the rate of violent crime. It 

is our duty to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent on the most 

cost effective and successful programs. Surely, any program authorized at over a billion dollars a year warrants such a review. 

The Committee adopted the amendment by voice vote. 

PRESERVING STATE PARTICIPATION

Mr. Chabot offered an amendment to preserve two provisions in 

the current law that encourage State and local governments to contribute funding to community policing programs. 

The COPS program is intended to compliment State and local 

funding sources for hiring and rehiring police officers. It represents 

a partnership between the Federal Government and State, local, 

and tribal governments. The COPS program was not intended to 

supplant State and local funding of police officers and community 

policing programs. To be sure, section 1704 of the Omnibus Crime 

Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. § 3796dd-3) States 

that 

Funds made available under this part to States or units of 

local government shall not be used to supplant State or 

local funds, or, in the case of Indian tribal governments, 

funds supplied by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, but shall 


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be used to increase the amount of funds that would, in the 

absence of Federal funds received under this part, be made 

available from State or local sources or in the case of Indian tribal governments, from funds supplied by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. (Emphasis added). 

Unfortunately, the Heritage Foundation study concluded that 

‘‘COPS grants awarded to large cities did not stimulate local spending and that the cities may have used the grants to supplant local 

police expenditures. This finding is supported by U.S. Department 

of Justice Office of Inspector General audits of COPS grants.’’ See, 

supra, A Report of the Heritage Center for Data Analysis at 19. 

As noted above, H.R. 1700, as introduced, stripped two provisions 

from current law that encourage State and local governments to 

contribute non-federal resources to hiring and rehiring grants. Removing these provisions only exacerbates an already disconcerting 

problem of COPS funds supplanting rather than complimenting 

State and local resources. Mr. Chabot’s amendment restores these 

important provisions. 

The Committee adopted the amendment by voice vote. 

LAMAR SMITH. 

J. RANDY FORBES. 

Æ 


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