Trenton, Jun 26, 2012 - The following article, published in the Trentonian newspaper on AJune 26, was written by State House reporter Anthony Campasi.

    A battered Trenton police force is getting some help from the federal government, which announced Monday that it would help the city rehire 12 officers.

    The federal grant, totaling a bit more than $3 million, is meant to help cover the cost of rehiring the officers for three years. 

     Trenton is one of more than 220 cities and counties across the country that is getting a share of the more than $110 million being distributed under the Community Organizing Policing Services, or COPS, program.
 
    Nationwide, the money is expected to save 200 cops from layoffs and pay for the hiring of 600 more.

    Trenton, in its application, asked for money to be used to replenish its police ranks, which have been devastated by more than 100 layoffs spurred by cuts in state aid.
 
    Peter Szpakowski, a police spokesman, hailed the announcement but cautioned that the city would have to come up with matching funds equal to 25 percent of the award, or more than $750,000, in order to receive the funds.
 
    Mayor Tony Mack’s office didn’t respond to questions on how it was planning to come up with that money.
 
    Jeff Sagnip, spokesman for U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R., N.J.), whose district includes Trenton, said the funds were crucial to help address rising crime in the Capital City.
Smith wrote a letter to the COPS program director in support of Trenton’s application.

    “It has a direct impact on the crime rate and people’s lives,” Sagnip said.

Click here to view original article published by Trentonian:
http://www.trentonian.com/article/20120626/NEWS01/120629791/trenton-to-get-12-more-cops-through-federal-grant

Click here to view Con.g Smith's August 2011 letter to the head of the U.S. Dept. of Justice COPS program:
http://chrissmith.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Rep_Smith_Letter_to_Bernard_Melekian_COPS_Dir.pdf

Click here to read Director Melekian's announcement of NJ Grants