Cop Out

With one exception, every community in San Diego County was shut out of a federal stimulus plan to hire cops that will spread $1 billion around the U.S. and more than $200 million in California.

Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced Tuesday that Oakland will be getting nearly $20 million in stimulus cash to hire up to 41 additional police officers, while San Francisco will be getting more than $16 million to hire up to 50. Los Angeles, too, was awarded $16 million.

Locally, Escondido was the only city to receive a federal grant. The North County city was awarded a little more than $2.3 million, which will be enough to pay for eight officers. San Diego and Oceanside were among the local communities that applied for funding but were denied cash by the feds, reported the North County Times.

Word of the extra money came during an announcement in Philadelphia about funding for a program called Community Oriented Policing Services program, or COPS.
     
Overall, the state of California is receiving more than $211 million, which will be used to pay for 649 officers around the state.

Federal money being released under the program is being sent to cities with the highest crime rates and the biggest budgetary problems.