Some Delaware police departments get money to hire vets

The state will get a small portion of $111 million in grants from the US Department of Justice.

The money from the federal COPS program is designed to create about 600 law enforcement positions nationwide while saving another 200 positions that are in danger of being eliminated due to budget cuts.

In Delaware, the Community Oriented Policing Services program will benefit the police departments in Dagsboro, Milford and Wyoming.  The three towns will get more than $100,000 each.

During his time in the Senate, Vice President Joe Biden was a big backer of the COPS program to help local departments fund positions.  Now the program will help returning soldiers find jobs.  “A lot of them want to keep serving now that they’re back, and these COPS Grants help give them that chance,” said Biden.

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The money given to local departments must be used to hire recent military veterans who have served at least 180 days since September 11, 2001.  Other grant recipients include Philadelphia ($3.1 million), Chester ($625,000), and Atlantic City ($1.8 million).

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