7th DISTRICT, MN -- Congressman Collin C. Peterson (DFL-7th District) announced today that 10 small towns and counties in the 7th District will receive grants from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Small Community Grant Program.  The grants provide eligible communities with populations below 50,000 with an additional year of funding for COPS-funded officers.

 "COPS hiring grants have helped many communities in the 7th District to implement community policing strategies," Peterson said.  "This grant funding will ensure that these officers will continue working with the community to fight crime."

 Today's grants were awarded under the COPS Small Community Grant Program.  Law enforcement agencies servicing populations below 50,000 were eligible to receive grants to pay part of the fourth-year salary and benefits for existing COPS funded officers.  Grant recipients had to demonstrate a specific financial hardship that would otherwise prevent them from retaining COPS-funded officers in order to receive a grant.  Only jurisdictions with COPS hiring grants due to expire before October 1, 1998 were eligible.

Those receiving this additional year of funding in the 7th District are:
· Crookston Police Department  $15,000 funding 1 full-time officer
· City of Dilworth    $15,000 funding 1 full-time officer
· Fergus Falls Police Department  $15,000 funding 1 full-time officer
· City of Glyndon    $12,827 funding 1 full-time officer
· Mahnomen County   $29,851 funding 2 full-time officers
· Marshall County Sheriff's Department $15,000 funding 1 full-time officer
· Moorhead Police Department  $15,000 funding 1 full-time officer
· Motley Police Department  $10,200 funding 1 full-time officer
· St. Cloud Police Department  $30,000 funding 2 full-time officers
· Todd County Sheriff's Department $14,390 funding 1 full-time officer

 The COPS program was created to put 100,000 community police officers on the nation's streets by the year 2000.  To date, the program has awarded grants to add more than 78,000 officers to the nation's law enforcement ranks.

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