Five million dollars in federal stimulus money is going to put 30 more law enforcement officers on the streets in South Dakota. Vice President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that one billion dollars in stimulus money is being spent nationwide to keep cops on the streets. 

A total of $5.1 million dollars is coming to 17 communities in South Dakota. The Rapid City Police Department will get more than 600 thousand dollars to pay the salaries and benefits of four new officers. Aberdeen Police will get two new officers and more than 300 thousand dollars. Sioux Falls is getting the most money, almost 2 million dollars for nine new officers. 

"We were very surprised and very thankful," Sioux Falls Assistant Police Chief Patti Lyon said.

Nine new officers will hit the streets of Sioux Falls in 2010. The money from the stimulus package is funneled through a Justice Department grant program called Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS.

"I think it just helps out the whole community and those officers will be here for 2010 and will probably cover the 2011 hire as well. So, actually what we did is we're basically hiring ahead, but we're hiring at one time," Lyon said.
The city had budgeted for nine new police officers for the next two years anyway, and now the federal government will foot the bill for the salaries and benefits for the officers' first three years on the job before the city has to pay out of its own pocket.

Sioux Falls Police have used the COPS grant to hire 27 police officers over the past decade.

"And we've never had any issues with having to retain those officers because of the fact that the city grows and usually we're adding to our police strength anyway," Lyon said.

And with nine new officers Sioux Falls Police will be showing its strength in numbers. 

Agency Name Officers Awarded Award Amount:

Rapid City Police Department     4 officers--$606,196.00

Mellette County Sheriff's Department     1 officer--$111,318.00

Brookings County Sheriff's Department     1 officer--$200,448.00

City of Sioux Falls Police Department     9 officers--$1,926,612.00

Spearfish Police Department     1 officer--$154,728.00

Oglala Sioux Tribal Department of Public Safety     2 officers--$290,822.00

Chamberlain Police Department     1 officer--$122,313.00

Aberdeen Police Department     2 officers--$318,782.00

Charles Mix County Sheriff's Department     1 officer--$130,035.00

Wagner     1 officer--$140,902.00

Box Elder Police Department     1 officer--$149,116.00

Tea    1 officer--$129,397.00

Belle Fourche Police Department     1 officer--$158,371.00

Walworth County Sheriff's Office     1 officer--$164,897.00

Mitchell Police Department     1 officer--$192,356.00

Martin     1 officer--$140,262.00

Vermillion Police Department     1 officer--$166,497.00

Source: White House