Agency opinions about the application process depended largely on jurisdiction size and the specific COPS program for which an application was submitted. When the COPS program began, for example, grant money was awarded under three programs:

• COPS FAST—COPS Funding Accelerated for Small Towns, directed to communities with fewer than 50,000 residents.

• COPS AHEAD—Accelerated Hiring, Education, and Deployment, directed to larger jurisdictions.

• COPS MORE—Making Officer Redeployment More Effective, directed to all agencies but primarily used by larger jurisdictions to fund technology (such as mobile computers), civilian hires, and officer overtime,* that would make officers more efficient in the field and the redeployment of officers more effective.

Small agencies were very satisfied with the COPS FAST grant application and award process. Moreover, 80 percent of small agencies that had previously received Federal grant money rated the COPS grant program as being easier to apply for and administer than other Federal programs. Part of this may be attributed to a special one-page application form that was developed especially for small jurisdictions.

Fewer large agencies reported being very satisfied with the COPS application process—40 to 50 percent—but they generally found the COPS process to be no more burdensome than other Federal grant programs. This may be due in part to more large agencies applying for COPS MORE funds, which required a more complex application process. However, most of the money awarded to large jurisdictions was distributed through COPS AHEAD.

The COPS FAST and COPS AHEAD programs were later combined into the COPS Universal Hiring Program.

More on COPS Grant Programs