Learn some great tips and information on the COPS Hiring Program (CHP) Program that is currently open and accepting applications due 6/23/2016!

1. COPS
Brought to you by the PoliceGrantsHelp Team
COPS Hiring Program (CHP)
In Brief

2. A penny for your thoughts, $137
million for your dreams!
So what is COPS CHP?
(We’re so glad you asked!)
COPS CHP - COPS Hiring Program
The goal of the CHP is to increase
community policing capacity and crime
prevention efforts by providing grants to
local communities to hire and/or rehire
full-time sworn law enforcement officer
positions.
• CHP is offered by the COPS Office
• Approximately $137 million available in funding
this year!

3. CHP Highlights
• Financial assistance to help communities
– Rehire sworn police officers who have been laid off or are
facing imminent layoffs
– Hire new police officers
• CHP only funds full-time sworn officer positions
• The current size of your sworn force determines how
many positions you can apply for

4. Who can apply?
CHP only applies to
Local, state, and tribal law enforcement
agencies (LEA) that have primary law
enforcement authority
IMPORTANT -The LEA’s governing body (typically the
local government) is the applicant!

5. What does it fund?
75% funding for approved full-time, entry
level salaries and fringe benefits for
newly hired or re-hired sworn career law
enforcement officers
IMPORTANT:
• Maximum award is $125,000 to be over the course
of three years (36 months)
• Departments must agree to retain the grant
funded position(s) for up to 12 months after
the grant ends
NOTE: 25% minimum local cash match required

6. What is the application process?
This grant is a two-step application
process:
Part I: Complete an SF-424 in Grants.gov
Part II: Complete the CHP application through
the COPS Office Portal

7. Part I: Complete the SF-424
1. See if your local government is registered in Grants.gov
• If registered, create a profile and request to become an
AOR
• If not registered, work with the Finance Office to create a
Grants.gov account
2. Submit the SF-424 via Grants.gov
IMPORTANT
• The SF-424 requires a complete project budget – start
preparing these numbers now!
• COPS Office staff will link the SF-424 to your COPS
Portal – make sure you’ve created the account before
submitting the SF-424!

8. Part II: Complete the COPS
Online Application
1. After submitting your SF-424, you will receive
an email confirmation with instructions on
how to complete the COPS Online Application
2. Login to your COPS Account and complete the
CHP Application
The CHP Application is not available in your COPS Portal until the SF-
424 is submitted!

9. What are key dates and time?
Application Submission Deadline:
June 23, 2016 at 7:59 p.m. EDT
Anticipated Award Date:
No later than October 1, 2016

10. 9 Simple Rules to
Get Started

11. Rule #1: Identify the Legal Applicant
Become friends with your
City/County/Town Finance Office
To apply, you need the jurisdiction’s:
• Legal name
• DUNS Number
• EIN/Tax ID (Employer Identification Number)
Your DUNS number will look something like this
80-123-4567
Your EIN will looks something like this

12. Rule #2: Check SAM Registration
• The Legal Applicant must have an active
SAM.gov Entity Record
– When you apply
– When you are awarded
– Throughout the duration of your federal award
If the Legal Applicant is not registered in SAM.gov, ask
your Finance Office to create an Entity Record
Registration can take up to
2 weeks
(Let’s get started now!)

13. Rule #3: Register on Grants.gov
Part I of the application is submitted via Grants.gov
You can create your own account, but cannot submit
the SF-424 unless you’re an Authorized Organization
Representative (AOR):
• You need the jurisdiction’s DUNS number to request
AOR status
• Grants.gov sends a request to the Electronic
Business POC associated with your jurisdiction’s SAM
Entity Record
For technical assistance, contact the Grants.gov Help Center
Call:800-518-4726 Email: support@grants.gov
Money doesn’t grow on trees…that’s why we
have grants

14. Rule #4: Prepare Your COPS Portal
Account
• Before submitting the SF-424 you must
register/renew your COPS Portal Account
– This helps COPS Staff associate the SF-424
with the correct applicant and grant you
access to Part II of the application
To login see Cops Account Access
Need help? Contact the COPS Office Response Center
Call: 800-421-6770 Email: AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov

15. Rule #5: Know Your Facts
Ask these questions:
– What is your agency’s community policing
strategy?
– Do we have crime statistics from the last 3
years?
– What percentage of employees in the
jurisdiction has been reduced through
layoffs?
Data and facts make for a strong application!

16. Rule #6: Financial Details Required
• Organization budget for 2015 and 2016
– How does it compare to budgets from the last 3-
5 years?
– How do revenue and expenses compare to the
budget?
• You will need to provide:
– Total annual operating budget for the current
fiscal year
– Current salary and benefit costs for entry-level
officers
– Explanation of how the city’s actual income and
expense compare to the department’s budget
• Legal Applicant’s financial situation
– How does it impact your organization budget?
– What other costs or revenue challenges are
straining the budget?
If you’re still using one of these
to do math, click for help

17. Rule #7: Know your Needs
• How many entry-level law enforcement
officers do you really need?
• Are you having difficulty retaining
members due to a lack of incentives
and/or benefits?

18. Rule #8: Understand The Review
Process
Applications are reviewed by COPS
Office Staff in collaboration with
Peer Reviewers
They consider
• Financial Need
• Commitment to Community Policing
• Strength of Community Policing
strategy
Make sure open COPS applications are up to date
on reports!
Need help with
your grant
application?
Click Here!

19. Rule #9: Plan Accordingly
• Narratives are important BUT they’re only read if
your application passes technical review
• The moral of the story: There is no room for error!

20. Still have questions?
We can help!
Our Grant Writers:
• Have a combined 30+
years of grant writing
experience
• Many are active
members of the public
safety community!
• Helped fund more than
$80 million in grant
awards!
• Have a grant success
rate of 60% higher than
the national average!
Contact us today for
more info and help!
To work with the best of the best