The U.S. Department of Justice grant season is in full bloom with an assorted bouquet of available 2023 federal grants for law enforcement agencies. The deadlines for applying for these wide-ranging federal grants are rapidly approaching. From hiring and recruiting to training and accreditation, these programs address the most pressing issues faced by law enforcement agencies, providing critical funding your agency needs to better serve your community.

There are two deadlines for these grant submissions. An SF-424 and an SF-LLL must be submitted May 8. The second submission includes the full application and attachments, which must be submitted by May 15.

There are two deadlines for these grant submissions. An SF-424 and an SF-LLL must be submitted May 1. The second submission includes the full application and attachments, which must be submitted by May 8.

The FY 2023 CHP program applications must be submitted in a two-step process. An SF-423 and SF-LLL must be submitted by May 4. The full application, including attachments, must be submitted by May 11.

The FY 2023 Community Policing Development (CPD) De-Escalation Training program focuses on an agency-wide comprehensive approach to de-escalation that includes individual-level de-escalation, implicit bias and duty to intervene techniques training. De-escalation refers to the range of verbal and nonverbal skills used to slow down the sequence of events, enhance situational awareness, conduct proper threat assessments, and allow for better decision-making to reduce the likelihood that a situation will escalate into a physical confrontation.

The COPS Hiring program has $224.5 million in available funding. Each award will provide funding for up to 75% of an officer/deputy entry-level salary and fringe benefits for three years within a five-year period of performance to accommodate time necessary for recruitment and hiring. There is a minimum 25% local cash match requirement, unless a waiver is approved. The maximum federal share for an officer/deputy position is $125,000 over the three-year period (not $125,000/year) unless a local match waiver is approved.

Additional school safety measures available through the Bureau of Justice Assistance section of the STOP School Violence Act of 2018 include:

The federal law enforcement grants process is always competitive, and with municipal budgets feeling the pinch of inflation and high energy costs, we expect many agencies to be competing for these funds. Lexipol’s Grant Services team is here to help! If your agency needs help identifying the right grant for you or developing a compelling application and narrative, contact us at info@lexipol.com or fill out our contact form and we’ll be in touch soon!

The FY 2023 School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) has up to $73 million available. Each award is three years in length for a maximum federal share of $500,000/award. There is a local cash match requirement of at least 25%.

The FY 2023 CPD De-Escalation Training program has two open solicitations. One solicitation, with approximately $3 million in funding, is for the Continuation and Expansion of Regional De-Escalation Training Centers. Each award is for two years for a maximum $750,000/award. There is no local match requirement.

There are two deadlines for School Violence Prevention Program grant submissions. An SF-424 and SF-LLL must be submitted by May 10. The second submission includes the full application and attachments, which must be submitted by May 17.

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Cops Hiring Program (CHP) is designed to provide funding directly to law enforcement agencies to hire and/or rehire additional officers/deputies to increase community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. Agencies applying for this award should focus on how they will achieve one or more of the program’s desired outcomes, which include:

The second solicitation, with $11.5 million in funding, is for Law Enforcement Agency De-Escalation Grants to support state and local agencies’ ability to participate in de-escalation, implicit bias and duty to intervene train-the-trainer programs that can be used to establish internal training on these subjects.

There are two deadlines for these grant submissions. An SF-424 and an SF-LLL must be submitted by May 15. The second submission includes the full application and attachments, which must be submitted by May 24.

SARAH (WILSON) HANDLER is the vice president of Grants for Lexipol, managing PoliceGrantsHelp, FireGrantsHelp, EMSGrantsHelp, CorrectionsOneGrants, GovGrantsHelp and EducationGrantsHelp as well as the Grant search tool GrantFinder. She has been with the company since 2007 and started the Grant services division in 2009. Since 2009, Sarah has worked to build the Grants division from a small, sponsored microsite to a multimillion dollar revenue business. Sarah’s team is responsible for generating $300+ million in funding and currently servicing a network of 60,000 departments and municipalities for grant help. Sarah has a bachelor's degree from the University of California at Davis.

The FY 2023 Community Policing Development: Accreditation Program funds are intended to develop the capacity of an agency to implement community policing strategies by providing guidance on promising practices through developing and testing innovative strategies; building knowledge about effective strategies and outcomes; and supporting new, creative approaches to preventing crime and promoting safe communities.

The FY 2023 Community Policing Development (CPD) Microgrants Program funds are designated to develop law enforcement’s capacity to implement community policing strategies to improve the identification and prioritization of community problems, build trust and relationships with communities, and enable an agency to build a culture of accountability, transparency, open communication and mutual trust.