Res. No. 144-A Title Resolution calling upon the Department of Justice to approve the City's application for a waiver to continue to use funds for officer salaries for Fiscal Years 2003 and 2004 under the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, and urging both the United States Congress and the Department of Justice to amend program requirements to enable federal funds to continue to assist the New York City Police Department in its crime-fighting efforts. Body By Council Members Vallone Jr., Addabbo Jr., Brewer, Davis, Fidler, Jackson, Katz, Nelson, Reed, Rivera, Seabrook, Yassky, Weprin, Gallagher, Golden and Oddo Whereas, The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 created a grant program, referred to as Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), which gives the Department of Justice the power to make grants to local governments "to increase police presence, to expand and improve cooperative efforts between law enforcement agencies and members of the community to address crime and disorder problems, and otherwise to enhance public safety"; and Whereas, As part of its effort to reduce crime, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) took advantage of this program, and since 1995 has received 300 million dollars in funding under the COPS program to hire approximately 4,000 additional officers; and Whereas, Under the program, COPS funds $25,000 per year of an officer's salary over the three year period of the grant, with the City required to pay the balance during the first three years and the full salary for one full City funding cycle following the three-year grant period; and Whereas, With the assistance of this grant money, the NYPD was able to hire additional police officers, thus reducing crime in New York City to historic levels, which assisted in the reduction of crime nationwide, and fulfilled one of the program's goals of proactively controlling and preventing crime; and Whereas, As a result of certain program requirements, however, the NYPD is in jeopardy of losing COPS funding for Fiscal 2003 and Fiscal 2004, and thus the City has applied to the Department of Justice for a waiver in order to ensure that this crime-fighting money continues to be received by the City for these two fiscal years; and Whereas, In light of the additional resources the City must expend to combat terrorism, while continuing to increase police presence in communities and control crime, the United States Congress and Department of Justice should amend the COPS program so that the federal government continues to pay for a portion of the salaries of the 4,000 officers hired under the program, thus mitigating New York City's financial burden; and Whereas, The denial of the City's application for a waiver as well as the failure to enact these amendments to the law would hinder New York City's crime-fighting efforts, thus having national implications; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York urges the Department of Justice to approve the City's application for a waiver to continue to use funds for officer salaries for Fiscal Years 2003 and 2004 under the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, and urges both the United States Congress and the Department of Justice to amend program requirements to enable federal funds to continue to assist the New York City Police Department in its crime-fighting efforts.