Pre-Award Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 

for 2023 COPS Office Community Policing 

Development Accreditation Grant Programs 

Q. Are all law enforcement agencies eligible to apply for the Supporting Law Enforcement Agencies 

Seeking Accreditation solicitation?

A. The solicitation is open only to state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies that have 

primary law enforcement authority for their jurisdiction.

Q. How do I determine if my agency has primary law enforcement authority?

A. An agency with primary law enforcement authority is defined as the first responder to calls for service 

for all types of criminal incidents within its jurisdiction. Agencies are not considered to have primary 

law enforcement authority if they only respond to or investigate specific type(s) of crime(s), respond to 

or investigate crimes within a correctional institution, serve warrants, provide courthouse security, 

transport prisoners, have cases referred to them for investigation or investigational support, or some 

combination of these.

Q. My agency does not have primary law enforcement authority. Can we partner with an agency that is 

eligible to apply?

A. Yes, partnerships are highly encouraged. If your agency does not have primary law enforcement 

authority, it can partner with an agency that is eligible to apply. Please keep in mind that the 

application must be submitted by the agency with primary law enforcement authority.

Q. Under the Supporting Law Enforcement Agencies Seeking Accreditation solicitation can a law 

enforcement agency already in the accreditation process apply?

A. Agencies can be in the process of seeking accreditation at the time of application. However, agencies 

seeking renewal or re-accreditation are not eligible.

Q. Under the Supporting Law Enforcement Agencies Seeking Accreditation solicitation what would be a 

project considered out of scope for the CPD Accreditation program?

A. Law enforcement accreditation is the only type of accreditation supported by the CPD Accreditation 

program. Applicants seeking communications, jail, training academy, or other non–law enforcement 

accreditation will not be considered.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q. Is agency accreditation the same thing as agency certification? 

A. No, accreditation should not be confused with agency certification. 

• Accreditation involves the process of law enforcement agencies adopting and maintaining 

standards focused on their operations. To obtain accreditation, a law enforcement agency must 

ensure that it has the appropriate policy standards as defined by the accreditation entity. The 

number of standards varies by accreditation entity. 

• as described in Executive Order (EO) 13929 Safe Policing for Safe Communities, which requires law 

enforcement agencies to confirm that their use of force policy adheres to two mandatory 

requirements to receive DOJ discretionary funding. For questions regarding EO 13929 certification, 

please see the COPS Office’s Safe Policing for Safe Communities fact sheet. 

Q. How does the COPS Office define rural jurisdictions? 

A. Because of geographical and regional considerations, the COPS Office allows an applicant to identify 

their jurisdiction type and explain how their project will benefit nonurban areas. 

Q. How does the COPS Office define large and small law enforcement agencies? 

A. The COPS Office defines large agencies as those serving populations of 150,000 or more and small 

agencies as those serving populations of fewer than 150,000. Applicants are allowed to self-identify 

whether their jurisdiction type is rural based on their own geographical considerations. 

For the FY23 COPS Office Solicitations Frequently Asked Questions visit our How To Apply page. 

Questions? For technical assistance with submitting the full application in JustGrants, contact the 

JustGrants Service Desk at JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov or 833-872-5175. The JustGrants Service Desk 

operates 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. eastern time (ET) Monday to Friday, and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET on 

Saturday, Sunday, and federal holidays. 

For programmatic and general assistance with the solicitation requirements, contact the COPS Office 

Response Center at 800-421-6770 or by email at AskCOPSRC@usdoj.gov. The Response Center’s hours of 

operation are Monday–Friday (except U.S. Federal Government holidays; see https://www.opm.gov/policydata-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/) from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time 

(ET). The Response Center will remain open on the solicitation closing date until 4:59 p.m. ET. 

COPS Office CPD Accreditation programs FY 2023 

Frequently Asked Questions Page 2