[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 76 (Tuesday, April 21, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19748-19749]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10428]
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
FY 1998 Community Policing Discretionary Grants
AGENCY: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, Department of
Justice.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented
Policing Services (``COPS'') announces a new grant program, School-
Based Partnerships, designed to keep children safe by reducing school-
related crime. This program, which complements the COPS Office's
efforts to add 100,000 officers to our nation's streets and support
innovative community policing, will help make schools safer for all
children. The School-Based Partnerships grant program will provide
policing agencies with a unique opportunity to work with schools and
community-based organizations to address persistent school-related
crime problems. Applicants must focus on one primary school-related
crime or disorder problem, occurring in or around an elementary or
secondary school, such as: Drug dealing or use on school grounds,
problems experienced by students on the way to and from school,
assault/sexual assault, alcohol use or alcohol-related problems/DWI,
threat/intimidation, vandalism/graffiti, loitering and disorderly
conduct directly related to crime or student safety, disputes that pose
a threat to student safety, or larceny.
All local, Indian tribal, school police departments (consisting of
officers with sworn authority) and other public law enforcement
agencies committed to community policing are eligible to apply. Law
enforcement agencies must partner with either a specific school, school
district, or a nonprofit organization. A partnership between a policing
agency and a specific school is encouraged, but if such a partnership
is not practical, a policing agency may partner with a nonprofit
community group. A collaboration agreement outlining the conditions and
benefits each participant will contribute to the project must be
included in the application .
DATES: School-Based Partnerships Application Kits will be available in
late April, 1998. The deadline for applications is June 15, 1998.
Applications must be postmarked by June 15, 1998, to be eligible.
ADDRESSES: To obtain an application and the companion guide, ``Problem-
[[Page 19749]]
Solving Tips: A Guide to Reducing Crime and Disorder Through Problem-
Solving Partnerships,'' or for more information, call the U.S.
Department of Justice Response Center, (202) 307-1480 or 1-800-421-
6770. A copy of the application kit and ``Problem-Solving Tips'' also
will be available in late April on the COPS Office web site at: http://
www.usdoj.gov/cops.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The U.S. Department of Justice Response Center, (202) 307-1480 or 1-
800-421-6770 or your grant advisor.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview
The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (Pub. L.
103-322) authorizes the Department of Justice to make grants to
increase deployment of law enforcement officers devoted to community
policing on the streets and rural routes in this nation. As part of the
Clinton Administration's commitment to combat and prevent crime in and
around America's schools, the Justice Department's Office of Community
Oriented Policing Services (COPS) has a new grant program, School-Based
Partnerships, designed to keep children safe by reducing school-related
crime. This program, which complements the COPS Office's efforts to add
100,000 officers to our nation's streets and support innovative
community policing, will help make schools safer for all children.
The School-Based Partnerships grant program will provide policing
agencies with a unique opportunity to work with schools and community-
based organizations to address persistent school-related crime
problems. Applicants must focus on one primary school-related crime or
disorder problem, occurring in or around an elementary or secondary
school, such as: Drug dealing or use on school grounds, problems
experienced by students on the way to and from school, assault/sexual
assault, alcohol use or alcohol-related problems/DWI, threat/
intimidation, vandalism/graffiti, loitering and disorderly conduct
directly related to crime or student safety, disputes that pose a
threat to student safety, or larceny.
The School-Based Partnerships program emphasizes problem analysis,
a key component of problem solving, to help develop effective
responses, including prevention and intervention efforts. For example,
a problem analysis might show that 80 percent of the assaults on
students at a particular school are committed by truant students with
prior arrest records from other schools. A comprehensive response to
this problem might involve a collaborative effort among a team of
social services personnel, school administrative staff, police and
probation officers. This team might work together to change policies
and improve communication to exert more control over the offenders and
the problem behaviors. Similarly, other responses may include: Training
students in conflict resolution, restorative justice/community justice
initiatives, crime awareness/prevention programs, programs targeting
likely victims and offenders at high-risk times, social service
intervention programs, physical changes in the environment to reduce
the problem, and school policy and procedural changes.
Applicants will use problem-solving methods to understand the
causes of the problem; develop specific, tailor-made responses to that
problem; and assess the impact of those responses. In order to help
communities use creative problem solving to address school-related
problems, this grant will fund resources such as: Computer technology;
crime analysis personnel; the cost of conducting student surveys and
victim/offender interviews; the cost of community organizers, school
personnel and/or students involved in analyzing or coordinating the
project; and training and technical assistance in collaborative problem
solving. To complement this grant program, school resource officers may
be hired through the COPS Universal Hiring Program (UHP) grant program.
Although this grant program is focused on the careful analysis of a
specific school-related crime problem, it is not intended to be overly
complex or technical. Applicants are not expected to be experts in
problem solving and crime analysis. Any organization concerned with
school safety or crime issues is encouraged to participate in this
program. Applicants that would like assistance in problem-solving
techniques are encourage to plan for such technical assistance in their
project budgets.
This grant program is expected to be extremely competitive. A total
of up to $12,000,000 in funding will be available under the School-
Based Partnerships program. A local match will not be required,
although applicants are encouraged to contribute cash or in-kind
resources to their proposed projects. An additional $5.5 million will
be available for further efforts under the School-Related Crime
Prevention and Safety Initiative.
Grant funds must be used to supplement, and not supplant, state or
local funds that otherwise would be devoted to public safety
activities.
All local, Indian tribal, school police departments (consisting of
officers with sworn authority) and other public law enforcement
agencies committed to community policing are eligible to apply. Law
enforcement agencies must partner with either a specific school, school
district, or a nonprofit organization. A partnership between a policing
agency and a specific school is encouraged, but if such a partnership
is not practical, a policing agency may partner with a nonprofit
community group. A collaboration agreement outlining the conditions and
benefits each participant will contribute to the project must be
included in the application.
Law enforcement agencies (primary applicants) may submit only one
application. Schools or community-based entities (secondary applicants)
that apply as partners are expected to include student representatives
in the project.
An award under the School-Based Partnership grant program will not
affect the eligibility of an agency to receive awards under any other
COPS program.
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) reference for
this program is 16.710.
Dated: April 14, 1998.
Joseph E. Brann,
Director.
[FR Doc. 98-10428 Filed 4-20-98; 8:45 am]
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