Carolyn Becraft and COPS Director Joe Brann of the Department of Justice. These officials were joined by two local community police officers, Viet Nguyen and Issac Ruiz, who are veterans. Entering the law enforcement profession after military service enables separating men and women to continue serving their country by utilizing the skills and experiences that they acquired while in the Armed Forces. The Troops to Cops program was introduced as part of the l993 Defense Authorization Act and included in last year's crime bill. The appropriation was included as part of the FY 1995 DoD budget.
Veterans can contact their local transition office to find out about police vacancies.
More than 7,700 law enforcement agencies across the country who have been selected to receive COPS hiring grants will be eligible for funding. Grants may be used to pay for academy, supplemental, or in-service training costs for veterans hired after January 1, 1995. As with all COPS-funded programs, officers hired must receive training in community policing. COPS was one of the results of the Violent Crime Control Act of l994 and was created in October l994 by U. S. Attorney General Janet Reno. However, law enforcement is an extension of a lifestyle they know and understand.