10 Cops for Oakland paid for by the Feds

With only 615 sworn officers, the Oakland Police Department (OPD) needs all the help it can get.  A Federal grant will pay for 10 of those officers for the next 3 years.

The announcement came at a press conference today with Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Oakland Mayor Jean Quan. The awards are being allocated through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program.  COPS is a competitive grant program that provides funding directly to local law enforcement agencies to hire police officers dedicated to addressing specific crime and disorder challenges.

The total number of sworn officers with OPD will increase on Friday when 36 officers graduate from the most recent Police Academy.