TEMPLE, Texas — The U.S. Department of Justice announced that the City of Temple will be awarded a $375,000 grant to improve the Temple Police Department's community policing efforts.
The funding will create three new positions within the Temple PD's Community Oriented Policing Services Unit (COPS), according to the Temple PD.
"In our application, we described that the officers will be used to enhance our current community policing unit with an emphasis on neighborhood policing," Deputy Chief Jim Tobin said. "The goal of neighborhood policing is to build and maintain positive relationships within the community. In building these relationships, officers work with citizens to reduce crime and improve quality of life issues."
The COPS Unit hosts events including National Night Out, Coffee with a Cop and Burgers with the Badge. These officers also reach out to neighborhoods, businesses and other organizations to foster open communication between officers and the community. The unit currently consists of eight officers, according to the Temple PD.
"It is imperative that residents have an open line of communication where they can bring questions or concerns to law enforcement officials," City Manager Brynn Myers said. "This focus on community policing puts officers in neighborhoods where they can hear those concerns and continue to build positive relationships with the community."
The Temple Police Department is one of nearly 600 agencies throughout the nation to receive funding.
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