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Council gives consensus to apply for Department of Justice COPS grant to fund up to 10 officers
Summary
City staff asked council for authorization to apply for the DOJ COPS grant to fund up to 10 new officer positions over three years; the council gave consensus to return with a motion pending the July 1 grant deadline and potential linkage to a public safety sales‑tax ballot measure.
Deputy City Manager Eric Lamb and accounting manager Sarah Farr asked the Spokane Valley City Council on June 15 for authorization to apply for the Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant, which funds officer hiring for up to three years with a required 25% local match.
Staff said last year the city successfully applied for and hired ten COPS‑funded positions included in the 2025 budget; the DOJ program is open again and staff recommended applying for up to ten additional positions. The grant funds up to $125,000 per position for a three‑year period and requires a 25% city match and a commitment to retain the positions for 12 months after grant funding ends.
Lamb described the grant timeline and noted the city has placed a public safety sales‑tax measure on the August 5 ballot that would provide local revenue to retain the positions if the grant is awarded. If the ballot measure fails and the city ultimately lacks the revenue to support the locally required match or ongoing costs, staff said the city could decline a grant award without penalty.
Council members asked whether the city could accept a partial award or stagger hiring; staff said the award typically requires acceptance of the full grant but hiring could be phased and grant amendments are possible. Council gave consensus for staff to return with a motion next week to apply for the grant; the application deadline was noted as July 1.
Council Member Al Merkel said he supports applying and requested further information on how the grant interacts with recent state grant programs and related compliance questions; staff said they are tracking state grant requirements and council policy on immigration cooperation when evaluating other future awards.
