Durbin Announces Funds to Hire 15 New Chicago Cops

Sen. Dick Durbin announced Friday that five Illinois communities will receive funding to hire additional police officers.

The city of Chicago will receive nearly $1.9 million to help hire or rehire fifteen police officers.

The funds were awarded by the Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, part of a nationwide allotment of $125 million in grants.

The grants are aimed at creating or saving 937 law enforcement positions.

Durbin says the funding will help combat crime by "putting more local cops on the beat."

CPD spokesman Adam Collins said the money is part of the standard, annual COPS grant.

"In our application, we stated a preference to hire vets though it's not required. And unlike some jurisdictions who laid off sworn officers that could now be rehired, our FY13 CHP-funded hires will all be new hires," Collins said.

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