The Columbus Police Department was awarded a federal grant of more than $500,000 Thursday to hire or rehire three officers.
The competitive COPS Hiring Program grant of $518,697 is the largest of eight grants awarded to police in Mississippi by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The grants, which are intended to offset local budget cutbacks, will allow police to hire 11 officers and support them for three years on entry-level salaries and benefits.
The other grants, totaling more than $1.5 million, went to Bay St. Louis, Charleston, Duck Hill, Laurel, Philadelphia, Ripley and Shuqualak.
Nationwide, 379 law enforcement agencies received grants worth a total of $298 million.
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