Pursuit of Grants Provides Policy Challenges for Police Executives

• NCJ Number: 198453
• Journal: Criminology & Public Policy Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: November 2002 Pages: 43-50
• Author(s): Timothy N. Oettmeier
• Date Published: November 2002
• Length: 8 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This paper offers an examination of the issues that affect policies within police organizations when those organizations pursue grant funds.

Abstract

The author of this essay explains that many times, police organizations assume that monetary grant awards will automatically decrease crime rates and build successful police organizations on their own. However, it is not the money, but the strength of the police organization that makes effective use of that money. In this essay, the author outlines main issues that police organizations should consider before pursuing grant funds such as those offered through the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). The first issue involves the ability of the police organization to provide for the long-term employment of officers hired with grant funds. Thus, before putting grant funds to use, police executives should consider long-term budgetary constraints and goals. The second issue is any new officers who are hired with grant money will necessarily go through a training process. It is imperative to evaluate how this training process will affect the functioning of the organization as a whole. The third issue to consider involves the use, or deployment, of officers hired with grant money and how their assignments will affect the daily functioning of the police organization. Grants often come with sets of requirements detailing how new officers are to be used, such as with community-oriented police officers. The fourth issue involves assessing the performance of the grant-funded project and how this evaluation process might affect the way in which all evaluations are performed within the organization. The final issue the author stresses when pursuing grant money is to examine how supervisory responsibilities will shift due to new obligations required by the grant award. In conclusion, the author notes that while grant awards may provide much needed funding, they carry a great responsibility in terms of transforming business as usual within police organizations.