TPD gets federal grant to hire more officers

The Tulsa Police Department has won a $1.25 million grant to hire new police officers from the Department of Justice.

KRMG learned from the DOJ Friday that the Office of  Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) had awarded grants to 263 cities nationwide, including three in Oklahoma.

The money will help TPD hire up to ten new officers.

The Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office got a grant of $750,000 for six new deputies; Weleetka PD got a grant of $57,293 for one new officer.

Beginning in 1995, COPS has awarded some $14 billion in grants designed to improve community policing around the country.

This year, it will fund more than $125 million in grants nationally, helping create 937 law enforcement positions.