New Hope For Cops

U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner last week expressed optimism that the Democrats taking control of both houses of Congress will mean funding is provided to reinstitute the Community Oriented Policing Services program.

That initiative, begun during the Clinton Administration with the strong advocacy of then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani, provides Federal funding to pay a significant portion of the salaries of police officers during their first three years on the job.

The program was discontinued during the Bush Administration, with officials claiming that it had served its purpose. As crime has crept upwards nationally in recent years, that claim has come into question. Crime here has continued to decrease, but murders are up slightly this year, and the added anti-terror duties NYPD officers perform make another argument for why Federal funding makes sense here. Mr. Weiner estimates that over the next few years more than 3,000 city cops could be brought on above current levels if the appropriate funding was authorized.

One reason Congress has been unwilling to act even after President Bush signed legislation reinstating the COPS program is that the Federal budget is stretched thin, with the money spent on the Iraq War a prime reason. That is just one of the hidden costs of Mr. Bush's dubious escapade, detracting from what would be available to hire additional cops who could actually accomplish something in the fight against terrorism.