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Council agrees to pursue federal COPS and SAFER grants with local match; city staff warn program changes reduce federal share
Summary
Petersburg will apply for Department of Justice COPS grants and FEMA SAFER grants to add sworn police and firefighter positions; both chiefs and the city manager told council the federal programs changed and the city will need to provide a larger share of salaries than initially expected.
City staff told the Petersburg City Council they will apply for two federal hiring grants — the DOJ Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) hiring program and FEMA’s SAFER firefighter grant — but warned changes to the COPS program reduce the federal contribution and increase the local cost.
The police chief described the COPS hiring program’s changed structure: current guidance (as presented to council) provides funding that covers up to 75% of entry‑level officer salaries and fringe benefits for up to three years under a single award, with a 25% local match required. The program also limits the request to a percentage of the agency’s authorized…
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