New York, Other Major Cities Passed Over for Federal Police Aid

Six in seven police forces that requested stimulus money to hire and keep cops on the job lost out, but 1,000 lucky agencies will get a share of the $1 billion in grants available for the Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS.

The aid -- part of the $787 billion Recovery Act passed in February to help save or create 3 million jobs -- will be used to hire 3,818 new officers and retain 881 positions that would otherwise be lost to budgetary belt-tightening, Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday in announcing the grants.

Among the winners of federal cash are the cities of Mobile, Ala., which got $2.46 million for 20 million; Mesa, Ariz., which got $5.8 million for 25 officers; Tulare County, Calif., which got $1.17 million for four officers; the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which got $1.4 million for seven officers; Kalamazoo, Mich., which got $1.9 million for 10 officers; Providence, R.I., which got $3.5 million for 13 officers; Salt Lake City, Utah, which got $2 million for 10 officers; and Huntington, W.Va, which got $700,000 for four officers.

Click here for a list of awardees.

California was by far the largest taker from the pot, scoring more than $211 million of the nearly $1 billion available. Florida and Ohio were next with $87 million and $79 million, respectively.

Several large U.S. cities won't get any cash at all. They include New York, Houston, Seattle and Pittsburgh.

The Justice Department decided other parts of the country simply needed it more, Holder said.

"These officers will go to where they are needed most," he said, adding that the decision about who gets money was made "based on crime rates, financial need and community policing activities."

New York, for instance, has a low crime rate and stable city budget. New York also has the largest single police force in the country, and received some money from a different stimulus program earlier this year, about $29 million.

At first glance, the distinction apparently was not based on average salaries for a police officer. The average salary for a general assignment officer in Kalamazoo is $48,824, according to Cbsalary.com, which is owned by CareerBuilder.com. The average salary for a police officer in New York City is $51,390, the Web site shows. Police in Mobile, Ala., make $30,600 on average and police in Baltimore, which also received funds, was $49,108. The national average is $47, 315, the site shows.

Biden called paying cops' salaries "a moral obligation."

Governors and mayors who are getting the help were grateful.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness, that we are doing something not only to save jobs but to protect communities across America," Gov. Jon Corzine of New Jersey said at the announcement in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia's mayor, Michael Nutter, called the $10.9 million his city will get "an incredible opportunity and a full demonstration that the federal government has a role to play, can do something to make our cities safe and enjoyable for all of us."

Seeking to quiet the chorus of complaints even before the announcement was official, the Justice Department said Tuesday that New York City will get $7 million from another grant program. New York was almost certain to get those funds anyway, since that program delivers money based mostly on a pre-set population-based formula.

The Big Apple also has a touchy history with Washington when it comes to federal aid for police costs. In 2006, the Bush administration sparked an uproar when it slashed homeland security money for New York.

Rep. Peter King of New York, the senior Republican on the Homeland Security Committee, criticized the COPS decision.

"It is disgraceful for New York City to be shut out just because the NYPD is doing such a great job under trying circumstances and Mayor (Mike) Bloomberg is doing such a wonderful job of managing the city's finances," said King, adding that the city "is the No. 1 terrorist target and should not be penalized for its success."

Bloomberg, in a statement, called the decision "disappointing, to put it mildly. To punish our police department because they have driven down crime with fewer resources shows the backwards incentive system that is sometimes at work in Washington." He said the 9/11 attacks "were attacks on the nation and we should be receiving strong federal support for the NYPD to fight terrorism in the nation's largest city."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.