Crime Subcommittee to Hold Oversight Hearing on Justice Department Grants

Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, June 8, 2017 at 10:00 a.m., the Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee will hold an oversight hearing to examine the Department of Justice’s grant programs. This hearing is the fourth in a series to examine the Justice Department and its components in order to identify matters that are in need of reform. Three components at the Justice Department administer and manage its diverse grant programs: the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). OJP provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. OVW grant programs are designed to help reduce domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by strengthening services to victims and holding offenders accountable. And the COPS Office is responsible for advancing the practice of community policing by state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies through information and grant resources. Collectively, Congress appropriates roughly $2 billion annually for the Department of Justice’s grant programs. The witness for the hearing is:

• Mr. Alan R. Hanson, Acting Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, Department of Justice

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) issued the statement below in advance of this hearing. Chairman Goodlatte: “Grants administered by the Department of Justice have helped communities across the United States prevent and fight crime, address domestic violence and sexual assault, and provide local law enforcement officers with tools needed to keep their communities safe. As with any government service, Congress must periodically review these grants to ensure they are working as intended and use taxpayers’ dollars wisely and efficiently. At this week’s Crime Subcommittee hearing, we will take a close look at the grants managed by the Justice Department to evaluate them in order to identify areas where they can be improved. I look forward to hearing from Acting Attorney General Hanson on these matters.” This hearing will take place in 2141 Rayburn House Office Building and will be webcast live at judiciary.house.gov.  Camera crews wishing to cover must be congressionally credentialed and RSVP with the House Radio-TV Gallery at (202) 225-5214.