Senate Passes ACOP Legislation to Provide Law Enforcement Grants to Small Towns

State Senators Monday passed legislation to provide grants to upgrade law enforcement programs in Oklahoma’s small towns.

Senate Bill 15 by Senator Kenneth Corn, D-Poteau, creates the Anti-Crime Operation Program or ACOP. It establishes a fund to provide grants to fund law enforcement activities in municipalities with a population of 7,000 or less.

“Many of our rural communities struggle financially to maintain a professional police force. The goal of the ACOP program is to provide needs-based grants to communities seeking to improve their ability to protect the citizens against crime,” Corn said.

The Senator explained that the state has other grant programs, such as the Rural Economic Action Plan in the Department of Commerce and water and sewer project assistance from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.

“ACOP is designed to grant assistance to small towns in Oklahoma that wish to expand their law enforcement efforts,” Corn said.

Under Senate Bill 15, an ACOP fund would be created and be administered by the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety. How much is deposited in the fund and thus available for grants will be determined in the legislative appropriations process.

The bill now moves to the House, where it authored by Representative John Nance, R-Bethany.
“I am optimistic that House will approve the ACOP plan and that we will be able to begin funding it in this legislative session,” Corn said.