[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 76 (Tuesday, April 21, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19748-19749]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10428]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services


FY 1998 Community Policing Discretionary Grants

AGENCY: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, Department of 
Justice.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented 
Policing Services (``COPS'') announces a new grant program, School-
Based Partnerships, designed to keep children safe by reducing school-
related crime. This program, which complements the COPS Office's 
efforts to add 100,000 officers to our nation's streets and support 
innovative community policing, will help make schools safer for all 
children. The School-Based Partnerships grant program will provide 
policing agencies with a unique opportunity to work with schools and 
community-based organizations to address persistent school-related 
crime problems. Applicants must focus on one primary school-related 
crime or disorder problem, occurring in or around an elementary or 
secondary school, such as: Drug dealing or use on school grounds, 
problems experienced by students on the way to and from school, 
assault/sexual assault, alcohol use or alcohol-related problems/DWI, 
threat/intimidation, vandalism/graffiti, loitering and disorderly 
conduct directly related to crime or student safety, disputes that pose 
a threat to student safety, or larceny.
    All local, Indian tribal, school police departments (consisting of 
officers with sworn authority) and other public law enforcement 
agencies committed to community policing are eligible to apply. Law 
enforcement agencies must partner with either a specific school, school 
district, or a nonprofit organization. A partnership between a policing 
agency and a specific school is encouraged, but if such a partnership 
is not practical, a policing agency may partner with a nonprofit 
community group. A collaboration agreement outlining the conditions and 
benefits each participant will contribute to the project must be 
included in the application .

DATES: School-Based Partnerships Application Kits will be available in 
late April, 1998. The deadline for applications is June 15, 1998. 
Applications must be postmarked by June 15, 1998, to be eligible.

ADDRESSES: To obtain an application and the companion guide, ``Problem-

[[Page 19749]]

Solving Tips: A Guide to Reducing Crime and Disorder Through Problem-
Solving Partnerships,'' or for more information, call the U.S. 
Department of Justice Response Center, (202) 307-1480 or 1-800-421-
6770. A copy of the application kit and ``Problem-Solving Tips'' also 
will be available in late April on the COPS Office web site at: <a href="http://
www.usdoj.gov/cops">http://
www.usdoj.gov/cops</a>.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The U.S. Department of Justice Response Center, (202) 307-1480 or 1-
800-421-6770 or your grant advisor.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Overview

    The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (Pub. L. 
103-322) authorizes the Department of Justice to make grants to 
increase deployment of law enforcement officers devoted to community 
policing on the streets and rural routes in this nation. As part of the 
Clinton Administration's commitment to combat and prevent crime in and 
around America's schools, the Justice Department's Office of Community 
Oriented Policing Services (COPS) has a new grant program, School-Based 
Partnerships, designed to keep children safe by reducing school-related 
crime. This program, which complements the COPS Office's efforts to add 
100,000 officers to our nation's streets and support innovative 
community policing, will help make schools safer for all children.
    The School-Based Partnerships grant program will provide policing 
agencies with a unique opportunity to work with schools and community-
based organizations to address persistent school-related crime 
problems. Applicants must focus on one primary school-related crime or 
disorder problem, occurring in or around an elementary or secondary 
school, such as: Drug dealing or use on school grounds, problems 
experienced by students on the way to and from school, assault/sexual 
assault, alcohol use or alcohol-related problems/DWI, threat/
intimidation, vandalism/graffiti, loitering and disorderly conduct 
directly related to crime or student safety, disputes that pose a 
threat to student safety, or larceny.
    The School-Based Partnerships program emphasizes problem analysis, 
a key component of problem solving, to help develop effective 
responses, including prevention and intervention efforts. For example, 
a problem analysis might show that 80 percent of the assaults on 
students at a particular school are committed by truant students with 
prior arrest records from other schools. A comprehensive response to 
this problem might involve a collaborative effort among a team of 
social services personnel, school administrative staff, police and 
probation officers. This team might work together to change policies 
and improve communication to exert more control over the offenders and 
the problem behaviors. Similarly, other responses may include: Training 
students in conflict resolution, restorative justice/community justice 
initiatives, crime awareness/prevention programs, programs targeting 
likely victims and offenders at high-risk times, social service 
intervention programs, physical changes in the environment to reduce 
the problem, and school policy and procedural changes.
    Applicants will use problem-solving methods to understand the 
causes of the problem; develop specific, tailor-made responses to that 
problem; and assess the impact of those responses. In order to help 
communities use creative problem solving to address school-related 
problems, this grant will fund resources such as: Computer technology; 
crime analysis personnel; the cost of conducting student surveys and 
victim/offender interviews; the cost of community organizers, school 
personnel and/or students involved in analyzing or coordinating the 
project; and training and technical assistance in collaborative problem 
solving. To complement this grant program, school resource officers may 
be hired through the COPS Universal Hiring Program (UHP) grant program.
    Although this grant program is focused on the careful analysis of a 
specific school-related crime problem, it is not intended to be overly 
complex or technical. Applicants are not expected to be experts in 
problem solving and crime analysis. Any organization concerned with 
school safety or crime issues is encouraged to participate in this 
program. Applicants that would like assistance in problem-solving 
techniques are encourage to plan for such technical assistance in their 
project budgets.
    This grant program is expected to be extremely competitive. A total 
of up to $12,000,000 in funding will be available under the School-
Based Partnerships program. A local match will not be required, 
although applicants are encouraged to contribute cash or in-kind 
resources to their proposed projects. An additional $5.5 million will 
be available for further efforts under the School-Related Crime 
Prevention and Safety Initiative.
    Grant funds must be used to supplement, and not supplant, state or 
local funds that otherwise would be devoted to public safety 
activities.
    All local, Indian tribal, school police departments (consisting of 
officers with sworn authority) and other public law enforcement 
agencies committed to community policing are eligible to apply. Law 
enforcement agencies must partner with either a specific school, school 
district, or a nonprofit organization. A partnership between a policing 
agency and a specific school is encouraged, but if such a partnership 
is not practical, a policing agency may partner with a nonprofit 
community group. A collaboration agreement outlining the conditions and 
benefits each participant will contribute to the project must be 
included in the application.
    Law enforcement agencies (primary applicants) may submit only one 
application. Schools or community-based entities (secondary applicants) 
that apply as partners are expected to include student representatives 
in the project.
    An award under the School-Based Partnership grant program will not 
affect the eligibility of an agency to receive awards under any other 
COPS program.
    The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) reference for 
this program is 16.710.

    Dated: April 14, 1998.
Joseph E. Brann,
Director.
[FR Doc. 98-10428 Filed 4-20-98; 8:45 am]
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