US Justice Dept. Awards North Branford Police $500K For 4 New Cops

NORTH BRANFORD, CT — When the Justice Department announced several new commitments as part of its Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, buried in the list of awardees was this nugget.

The DOJ's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office awarded more than $8.8 million to Connecticut. And of that, as part of its COPS Hiring Program, half a million dollars is earmarked for the North Branford Police Department to hire four police officers.

"This Department of Justice Grant would not have been possible without the strong partnership and leadership of Rose Angeloni and Marie Diamond from the North Branford Town Council," Deputy Chief of Police James Lovelace told Patch.

"Our communities deserve and demand more from their police departments, and this grant will deliver the exceptional service the men and women of this department deliver to their community today and the years to come," he said. "We look forward to enhancing our services and implementing this crucial initiative. "

The COPS grants include funding to help law enforcement agencies hire over 1,730 new law enforcement officers across the country, while also providing critical funding to support school safety and continue to advance community policing nationwide.

“Law enforcement officers across the country are showing up every day to protect their communities in the face of unprecedented challenges,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said. “These grants, which support the hiring of more than 1700 new officers and make critical investments in school safety and crisis intervention efforts, will help provide local law enforcement agencies with the resources they need to keep their communities safe, support officers, and build public trust.”

U.S. Attorney for CT, Vanessa Roberts Avery, praised the "substantial Justice Department grant awards."

“These funds will help fight violent crime, curb the illegal distribution of dangerous narcotics, improve policing, and keep our children safe," she said.