In 2013, the COPS Office launched the Microgrant Initiative for Law Enforcement under the Community Policing Development program to facilitate the implementation or advancement of nationwide community policing efforts and address existing gaps in community policing knowledge and tools. The initiative provides seed funding through small grants to help state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies develop and test community policing programs and strategies in a real-world setting. In 2014, the COPS Office funded 10 microgrant projects in four categories: (1) Building trust with communities of color; (2) Implementing cutting-edge strategies to reduce violence; (3) Countering violent extremism; and (4) Protecting vulnerable populations. The microgrant sites were Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; Park Ridge, IL; Reno, NV; Colorado Springs, CO; El Paso County, TX; North Las Vegas; NV, Seattle, WA; the Texas Department of Public Safety; and the University of Wisconsin at Madison. The COPS Office provided funding to CNA to act as a Microgrant Promising Practices Coordinator of the 2014 microgrant awards and work in partnership with the awardees and their local-level research partners to document their project activities and identify best practices. This report describes the lessons learned and promising practices that resulted from these microgrant projects.
