COPS Hiring Program (CHP)
Competitive funding to law enforcement agencies to hire or rehire career law enforcement officers, with the goal of expanding community policing and crime prevention capacity.
Who it is for
Established and operational local, state, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies with primary law enforcement authority. Agencies operating below budgeted strength can apply.
Department types: Any department
Before you start
How you apply: Apply directly to the funder.
Your agency applies directly, but note the application runs through two federal systems, Grants.gov and JustGrants.
Match required: Yes. A local cash match toward officer salary and benefits is generally required, with the agency retaining funded positions for a period after the grant. Waivers may be available for agencies that can show fiscal distress.
How to apply
- Register your agency in SAM.gov well ahead of time.
- Confirm registration in both Grants.gov and the DOJ JustGrants system, since COPS applications use both.
- Review the current Application Resource Guide on the COPS Office site for this year's priorities and certifications.
- Submit the SF-424 through Grants.gov, then complete the full application in JustGrants.
- If hiring school resource officers, be ready to provide a signed MOU with the school partner within 90 days of award.
Deadline: Annual competitive cycle, typically with an application window in spring and an informational webinar beforehand. Check the COPS Office CHP page for the current year's dates. (Annual cycle)
Funding: Awards fund a share of the salary and benefits of newly hired or rehired officers over a multi-year period, up to a per-officer cap set each year.
Verified as of 2026-05-31. Programs are checked periodically against their official source. Funding details and deadlines change. Confirm the current requirements on the official program page before you apply.