Stamford Receives Federal Funds To Advance Community Policing

STAMFORD, CT — Stamford recently received nearly $200,000 in federal funds from the Community Policing Development (CPD) program to help advance community policing. The program is a part of the Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Overall, a commitment of $33 million was made to agencies across the country, according to a news release from the DOJ.

The funds are used to support "promising practices through the development and testing of innovative strategies; building knowledge about effective practices and outcomes; and supporting new, creative approaches to preventing crime and promoting safe communities," the news release said.

The Stamford Police Department received $74,868 to assist in obtaining accreditation, which helps to ensure compliance with national and international standards, covering all aspects of law enforcement policies, procedures, practices and operations.

The department was also awarded a $124,994 microgrant to help with youth engagement and Stamford's youth initiative.

"I would like to thank the United States Department of Justice for awarding our law enforcement department this substantial grant. Funding from the state allows our city to implement the measures necessary to continue to hold the title of safest City in all of New England," said Mayor David Martin in a news release. "I would also like to thank Police Chief Timothy Shaw for playing such an integral role in the Stamford Police Department receiving this funding, and for constantly searching for ways to improve the department to ensure that our officers represent the highest standard of policing."

Shaw said in a news release that the SPD has striven to strengthen community relations and build a sense of mutual trust and respect between officers and civilians.

"We intend to use this funding to move further toward our goal of keeping Stamford safe and ensuring that our residents know that this is our number one priority as law enforcement," he added.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland noted that keeping communities safe requires building relationships and increasing trust.

"The wide range of programs these funds will support – from de-escalation training and anti-bias efforts to technical assistance and accreditation programs – are critical to achieving our public safety goals," he said in a news release. "It is particularly meaningful to announce these awards during National Community Policing Week, which recognizes the importance of community policing and the positive results we can achieve when law enforcement and community members work together."

Highlights of the 2021 CPD funding include:

• Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT). Over $9 million will go toward expansion of the use of crisis intervention teams to embed mental and behavioral health services with law enforcement.
• Tolerance, Diversity, and Anti-Bias Training. Over $1.7 million will be used for the creation and delivery of tolerance, diversity and anti-bias training for law enforcement officers.
• De-escalation Training. Approximately $13 million will support the creation and delivery of national level de-escalation training efforts, as well as state and local law enforcement agency efforts to build and maintain their officers’ de-escalation proficiency.
• COPS Microgrants. More than $2.7 million will support COPS Microgrants demonstration or pilot projects in local agencies. These are projects that offer creative ideas to advance crime fighting, community engagement, problem solving or organizational changes to support community policing.
• Accreditation. Over $3.8 million will be used to expand accreditation programs and assist agencies with gaining accreditation