CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) -- The Chula Vista Police Department received a nearly $100,000 grant to help fight human trafficking, the Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
According to the department, Chula Vista Police is the only local law enforcement department in California to receive the grant.
The money was granted to the department through the Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) Community Policing Development (CPD) Microgrants Program.
“Additional funds to respond to the threat of human trafficking are particularly important now,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “The coronavirus pandemic has young people spending countless hours on their phones, and unfortunately this renders them prey for human traffickers who exploit social media.”
“The CPD Microgrants Program is a critical resource to advance innovative community policing projects across the country,” said COPS Office Director Phil Keith. “These strategic investments from the COPS Office pay huge dividends to state and local law enforcement agencies and the communities that they serve.”
A total of 29 law enforcement agencies throughout the country were awarded similar grants.
According to the DOJ, the money is granted to departments to improve enforcement in the following areas:
• Human Trafficking
• Meeting Rural Law Enforcement Challenges
• Officer Safety and Wellness
• Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention
• School Safety
• Staffing and Allocation Studies
• Victim-Centered Approaches
• Violent Crime
• Youth Engagement
