THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 21, 1994 TAG: 9412210316
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 38 lines
Four cities in South Hampton Roads have received $3.2 million to hire a total of 46 officers through COPS AHEAD, part of President Clinton's crime bill.
Money from the Community Oriented Policing Services Accelerated Hiring, Education, and Deployment Program will go to Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Suffolk and Chesapeake, the Justice Department said.
Clinton on Monday announced that his administration released $327 million to 631 jurisdictions nationwide. The money will allow jurisdictions with more than 50,000 residents to hire 4,688 additional law-enforcement officers.
In South Hampton Roads, the Chesapeake Police Department will be able to hire nine officers, and its sheriff's department will get money for two new deputies. Norfolk can hire 17 officers; Suffolk, 3; and Virginia Beach, 17.
Portsmouth was not among the South Hampton Roads cities receiving COPS AHEAD grants. However, it received a grant for six new officers in October.
On the Peninsula, Hampton's police department will receive money to hire up to six officers.
``I'm very happy to receive them,'' Police Chief P.G. Minetti said. ``The funding gives us the opportunity to do a lot of things proactive and reactive as well.''
Minetti said he intends to place the new hires in a training cycle that begins in January.
Newport News received money for 20 new officers, as did Portsmouth, during an initial phase of the crime bill. Public information Officer Patty Mahaffy said the city now wants to focus on the crime bill's prevention program. by CNB