On March 29, five COPS Office solicitation programs opened: the Community Policing Development (CPD) program, Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) program, the STOP School Violence: School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP), Anti-Heroin Task Force (AHTF) program, and the COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Program (CAMP).

CPD funds are used to develop the capacity of law enforcement to implement community policing strategies by providing guidance on promising practices through the development and testing of innovative strategies; building knowledge about effective practices and outcomes; and supporting new, creative approaches to preventing crime and promoting safe communities. Applicants must identify specific program goals that will be directly accomplished if awarded CPD funding.

The 2019 CPD program will fund projects related to the following topic areas:

• Building Bridges between Law Enforcement and Youth
• Increasing the Capacity for Change Through the Implementation of Innovative Recruitment Strategies
• Designing a Public and Officer Safety Dashboard
• Protecting Youth Through the Implementation of School Safety Recommendations
• Translating Crime Reduction Best and Emerging Practices for Small and Rural Agencies
• Building a Campaign to Improve the Reporting of Hate Crimes
• Improving Law Enforcement Coordination and Information Sharing in Response to Endangered Youth
• Innovative Uses of Technology to Address Crime
• Emerging Issue Forums
• Training for Law Enforcement: Developing New Skill Building Courses to Advance Public Safety
• Blue Alert Network Support
• Open Category
• Invitational Applications

Detailed descriptions of each of these topics are available in the CPD application guide.

CPD is a competitive solicitation, open to all public governmental agencies, for-profit and nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, community groups, and faith-based organizations.

LEMHWA funds are used to improve the delivery of and access to mental health and wellness services for law enforcement through training and technical assistance, demonstration projects, and implementation of promising practices related to peer mentoring mental health and wellness programs that are national in scope and responsive to the solicitation topic requirements.

The 2019 LEMHWA program will fund projects related to the following topic areas:

• LEMHWA Peer Mentoring Training and Support
• LEMHWA Recommendation Implementation
• LEMHWA Peer Support Implementation Projects

Detailed descriptions of each of these topics are available in the LEMHWA application guide.

LEMHWA is a competitive solicitation, open to all public governmental agencies, for-profit and nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, community groups, and faith-based organizations.

CAMP provides funds directly to state law enforcement agencies to locate and investigate illicit activities related to the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine. The state law enforcement agencies must be in states with high rates of seizure of precursor chemicals or finished methamphetamine or laboratory or laboratory dump seizures and must be authorized by law to engage in or to supervise anti-methamphetamine investigative activities. CAMP budget requests must be at least $1 million, award recipients may receive a maximum of $2 million, and there is no local match requirement.

CAMP is a competitive solicitation, open to state law enforcement agencies only. Unfortunately, due to statutory requirements, local law enforcement agencies are not eligible to apply. CAMP funds may not be used for treatment programs or for prosecution of methamphetamine -related activities.

AHTF provides funds directly to state law enforcement agencies to locate and investigate illicit activities related to the distribution of heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil, or the unlawful distribution of prescription opioids. The state law enforcement agencies must be in states with high per capita rates of primary treatment admissions for heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil, or other opioids; and must have primary law enforcement authority over heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil, and other opioid seizures and investigations. AHTF award recipients may receive a maximum of $3 million, there is no minimum request requirement, and there is not a local match requirement. 

AHTF is a competitive solicitation, open to state law enforcement agencies only. Unfortunately, due to statutory requirements, local law enforcement agencies are not eligible to apply. AHTF funds may not be used for treatment programs or for prosecution of heroin-related activities.

The COPS Office has long demonstrated a commitment to school safety and to ensuring students' success in supportive, safe environments. SVPP is a competitive award program designed to provide funding to improve security at schools and on school grounds in the jurisdiction of the grantee through evidence-based school safety programs. Each award is two years (24 months) in duration. Each award recipient may receive a maximum federal share of $500,000. Agencies are required to contribute a local cash match of at least 25 percent toward the total cost of the approved project during the award period.

The SVPP provides funding directly to states, units of local government, Indian tribes, and public agencies (school districts, police departments, sheriff’s departments, etc.) to be used to improve security at schools and on school grounds in the grantees’ jurisdictions through evidence-based school safety programs that may include one or more of the following:

• Coordination with local law enforcement
• Training for local law enforcement officers to prevent school violence against others and self
• Placement and use of metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other deterrent measures
• Acquisition and installation of technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency
• Any other measure that, in the determination of the director of the COPS Office, may provide a significant improvement in security

All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and any modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by law.

All applications must be submitted by May 28, 2019, at 7:59 p.m. ET.

All guidance for the CPD, LEMHWA, SVPP, CAMP, and AHTF programs can be found on the COPS Office grants web page.

For programmatic assistance with the requirements for these programs or with submitting an application through the COPS Office Online Application System, please call the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770 or send questions via email. The COPS Office Response Center operates Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, except on federal holidays.

For technical assistance with submitting the SF-424, please call the Grants.gov customer service hotline at 800-518-4726, send questions via email, or consult the Grants.gov Organization Applicant User Guide. The Grants.gov Support Hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except on federal holidays.

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