For Immediate Release
June 1, 2010

CONTACT: Gilbert L. Moore
(202) 616-1728

COPS Office Funds Model Community Policing Partnership Between Mendocino County and Round Valley Indian Tribes

COVELO, Calif. - The United States Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) has awarded $500,000 to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office to fund a community policing demonstration project in collaboration with the Round Valley Indian Tribes, the Round Valley Unified School District, and the U.S. Forest Service.  The award will fund the hiring of two Mendocino County deputies who will reside on the Round Valley Reservation and work with the Tribes’ leadership and community members on projects that address drugs, crime, and school violence.

The award will fund the salaries of two residential deputies for 18 months, and provide technical assistance resources.  A technical assistance provider will be assigned to the project to offer on-site training, to conduct evaluations of the project, and to document promising practices.

“COPS is pleased to support such an innovative collaboration between a tribe and a neighboring local law enforcement agency,” said COPS Director Bernard K. Melekian.  “Ultimately, community policing is about building relationships that lead to solving community problems, and we expect the successes that come from this partnership to serve as a model for similar efforts throughout the country.”

This COPS Office funded partnership is part of a broader U.S. Department of Justice initiative to improve public safety, promote Justice, and reduce crime on and near tribal lands by creating better communication and coordination between local and tribal law enforcement and governments.

The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1995, COPS has awarded to more than $12.6 billion to advance community policing, including grants to 13,600 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring of officers, and by providing a variety of knowledge resource products including community policing publications, training and technical assistance.

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