Davids Announces New Funding to Hire Law Enforcement and Develop New Crime Prevention Strategies in Kansas’ Third District
Awards include funding to hire 12 officers in Wyandotte County and improve mental health services in Overland Park
Today, Representative Sharice Davids announced the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) awarded more than $3.8 million to communities in Kansas' Third District to hire additional police officers, develop new strategies to prevent crime, and improve access to mental health and wellness services for law enforcement professionals.
"Through implementing new crime prevention strategies and increasing mental well-being services, this new funding will help our local officers do their jobs better and safer," said Davids. "I am grateful for our local law enforcement officials and will continue working to ensure they have the resources and trained personnel needed to keep our communities safe."
The funding announced today is received through three grants that will positively impact public safety in Kansas' Third District. They include:
- DOJ Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP)
- Unified Government of Wyandotte County - $3,580,397
- DOJ Community Policing Development (CPD) Program
- DOJ Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Program
- City of Overland Park - $162,028
Throughout her time in congress, Davids has worked to improve public safety in Kansas' Third District. Following a summit she hosted with local, state, and federal law enforcement on the challenges they face handling the fentanyl epidemic, she took bipartisan action to curb the growing threat of fentanyl, the number one cause of overdose death in the United States. Davids also highlighted approved federal funding for three public safety projects - the Olathe Police Department's Mobile Command Unit, the Olathe Fire Department's Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) program, and the Shawnee Fire Department's energy cost-saving project.
Background:
The Unified Government of Wyandotte County was awarded funding through DOJ's COPS Office CHP to hire an additional 12 law enforcement officers. to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing by providing direct funding for the hiring of career law enforcement officers. CHP provides funds directly to law enforcement agencies to enhance their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts.
The cities of Gardner and Leawood were awarded funding through DOJ's CPD program to implement new community policing techniques aimed at developing and increasing the capacity of law enforcement. This is accomplished by providing guidance on promising practices through the testing of innovative strategies, building knowledge about effective practices and outcomes, and supporting creative approaches to preventing crime and promoting safe communities.
The City of Overland Park was awarded funding through DOJ's LEMHWA program to improve the delivery of and access to mental health and wellness services for law enforcement. Programming includes training and technical assistance, demonstration projects, suicide prevention programs, and peer mentoring practices for mental health and wellness.
Federal funding for this grant was authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, which Davids voted to support in March 2022.