Opportunity Information: Apply for O COPS 2021 86002
The COPS Office Anti-Heroin Task Force (AHTF) Program Solicitation is a competitive, discretionary grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of Justice through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). The COPS Office is the DOJ component focused on advancing community policing nationwide by providing funding and practical resources to state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement. Over time, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion in community policing efforts, supporting thousands of agencies and contributing to the hiring or redeployment of well over 100,000 officers. Alongside funding, the COPS Office also publishes guidance and toolkits on topics like violent crime, officer safety and wellness, and school safety, which are made publicly available through its website.
Legally, the AHTF program is rooted in federal authority under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as amended by the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (Title I, Part Q; 34 U.S.C. 10381 et seq.). Under this authority, the Attorney General can award grants to state law enforcement agencies in states that have high per capita rates of primary treatment admissions. The intent is to strengthen statewide, collaborative law enforcement work that targets illicit drug distribution networks, specifically those involving heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil, and the unlawful distribution of prescription opioids.
At its core, the AHTF program is designed to expand the capacity of state-level law enforcement to respond to heroin and opioid misuse by improving investigations and building, strengthening, or expanding multijurisdictional task forces. The solicitation emphasizes statewide collaboration, meaning the work is not meant to be isolated within a single agency or locality. Instead, the program encourages coordinated operations that bring multiple jurisdictions and partners together, improving how agencies share intelligence, coordinate cases, and focus enforcement efforts on higher-impact targets in the drug supply chain.
Grant funds are intended to support practical operational needs that directly enhance task force effectiveness. This includes adding personnel such as sworn law enforcement staff, civilian personnel, and task force-specific roles, as well as funding for training and equipment. The solicitation ties these investments to measurable improvements: increasing the number of hours devoted to statewide task force activity, broadening the number and diversity of participating agencies, and improving analytic capacity so task forces can generate stronger intelligence products and better-informed investigative strategies.
The COPS Office outlines a range of anticipated outcomes for AHTF awards. These include stronger collaboration with federal agencies, more analytical reporting, and improved information-sharing systems among participating state and local partners. On the enforcement side, the program aims to increase both the number and efficiency of investigations and to raise the share of investigations that lead to arrests, referrals, prosecutions, and ultimately convictions. Beyond enforcement metrics, the solicitation also highlights community policing principles as a desired element of the work, with the expectation that agencies will strengthen trust-building approaches and partnerships with communities while addressing opioid-related threats. Additional expected outcomes include identifying more drug-endangered children and increasing both the number and size of drug seizures, reflecting an emphasis on disrupting supply and recognizing broader harms connected to drug trafficking activity.
In terms of basic opportunity details, this FY 2021 solicitation (Funding Opportunity Number: O-COPS-2021-86002) offered grants with an award ceiling of up to $4,000,000 and anticipated making about 15 awards. The eligible applicants listed include state governments, with additional eligibility clarification referenced in the full solicitation. The application window for the posted opportunity opened around April 23, 2021, with an original closing date of June 3, 2021. The overall framing aligns with DOJ-wide priorities: promoting civil rights, improving access to justice, supporting victims, protecting the public from evolving threats, and building trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Applicants were encouraged to reflect these priorities in their project design and narrative, where applicable, as part of demonstrating how their enforcement strategy also supports broader community policing and public safety goals.Apply for O COPS 2021 86002
- The Department of Justice, Community Oriented Policing Services in the affordable care act sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "COPS Office Anti-Heroin Task Force Program Solicitation" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.710.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 23, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 03, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $4,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the COPS Office Anti-Heroin Task Force (AHTF) Program?
The Anti-Heroin Task Force (AHTF) Program is a competitive, discretionary grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). It is designed to strengthen statewide law enforcement capacity to address heroin and opioid misuse by improving investigations and building, strengthening, or expanding multijurisdictional task forces.
2) Which federal agency runs this grant opportunity?
The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), the DOJ component focused on advancing community policing nationwide through funding and practical resources.
3) What is the main purpose of the AHTF program?
The central purpose is to expand the capacity of state-level law enforcement to conduct high-impact, collaborative investigations targeting illicit drug distribution networks, specifically those involving heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil, and the unlawful distribution of prescription opioids.
4) Is this a formula grant or a competitive grant?
Based on the solicitation description provided, AHTF is a competitive, discretionary grant opportunity.
5) What legal authority supports the AHTF program?
The program is rooted in federal authority under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as amended by the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (Title I, Part Q; 34 U.S.C. 10381 et seq.). Under this authority, the Attorney General may award grants to eligible state law enforcement agencies in states with high per capita rates of primary treatment admissions.
6) Who is eligible to apply?
The eligible applicants listed include state governments, with additional eligibility clarification referenced in the full solicitation.
7) Does the program focus on a single city or county, or does it require statewide collaboration?
The solicitation emphasizes statewide collaboration. The intended approach is not isolated within a single agency or locality; instead, it encourages coordinated operations that bring multiple jurisdictions and partners together.
8) What kinds of task forces does the AHTF program support?
The program supports multijurisdictional task forces and related statewide collaborative enforcement efforts. A key emphasis is improving how agencies share intelligence, coordinate cases, and focus enforcement efforts on higher-impact targets in the drug supply chain.
9) What drug threats are specifically targeted by this solicitation?
The solicitation specifically highlights heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil, and the unlawful distribution of prescription opioids as targets for investigative and enforcement efforts.
10) What types of activities or costs are grant funds intended to support?
Grant funds are intended to support operational needs that directly enhance task force effectiveness. Examples stated include adding personnel (sworn law enforcement staff, civilian personnel, and task force-specific roles), as well as funding for training and equipment.
11) What kinds of staffing can be supported with AHTF funding?
The solicitation states funding may be used to add personnel, including sworn law enforcement staff, civilian personnel, and other task force-specific roles that increase the task force's operational and investigative capacity.
12) Does the solicitation mention improving analytical or intelligence capacity?
Yes. The solicitation ties investments to improving analytic capacity so task forces can produce stronger intelligence products and better-informed investigative strategies, along with more analytical reporting and improved information-sharing systems.
13) What measurable improvements does the solicitation connect to funding?
Examples described include increasing the number of hours devoted to statewide task force activity, broadening the number and diversity of participating agencies, and improving analytic capacity to strengthen intelligence and investigative strategy.
14) What outcomes does the COPS Office anticipate from AHTF awards?
The solicitation describes anticipated outcomes such as stronger collaboration with federal agencies, increased analytical reporting, improved information-sharing systems, more investigations and improved investigative efficiency, and an increased share of investigations leading to arrests, referrals, prosecutions, and convictions.
15) Does the program include expectations beyond enforcement metrics?
Yes. The solicitation highlights community policing principles as a desired element of the work, with an expectation that agencies will strengthen trust-building approaches and partnerships with communities while addressing opioid-related threats.
16) Are there expected outcomes related to drug-endangered children?
Yes. The solicitation notes an expected outcome of identifying more drug-endangered children, reflecting broader harms associated with drug trafficking activity.
17) Does the solicitation mention seizures as a performance emphasis?
Yes. It references increasing both the number and size of drug seizures as an anticipated outcome, consistent with an emphasis on disrupting supply networks.
18) What DOJ-wide priorities are referenced in the solicitation?
The opportunity framing aligns with DOJ-wide priorities including promoting civil rights, improving access to justice, supporting victims, protecting the public from evolving threats, and building trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
19) How should applicants address DOJ priorities in their proposal?
Applicants were encouraged to reflect DOJ-wide priorities in their project design and narrative, where applicable, to show how their enforcement strategy also supports broader community policing and public safety goals.
20) What is the funding opportunity number for this solicitation?
The Funding Opportunity Number listed is O-COPS-2021-86002.
21) What fiscal year is associated with the solicitation described?
The description identifies it as an FY 2021 solicitation.
22) What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The solicitation offered an award ceiling of up to $4,000,000.
23) How many awards were anticipated?
The solicitation anticipated making about 15 awards.
24) When did the application period open and close for the posted opportunity?
The application window opened around April 23, 2021. The original closing date was June 3, 2021.
25) What is the role of the COPS Office beyond funding?
In addition to grant funding, the COPS Office publishes guidance and toolkits on topics such as violent crime, officer safety and wellness, and school safety. These resources are made publicly available through its website.
26) What is the broader mission of the COPS Office mentioned in the solicitation background?
The COPS Office is described as the DOJ component focused on advancing community policing nationwide by providing funding and practical resources to state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement.
27) Does the background information mention the COPS Office's historical investment in community policing?
Yes. The background states that the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion in community policing efforts, supporting thousands of agencies and contributing to the hiring or redeployment of well over 100,000 officers.
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