FY25 COPS Blue Alert Program

The FY25 COPS Blue Alert Program is a discretionary grant opportunity provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). This funding initiative aligns with the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act of 2015, enacted in honor of two New York City police officers ambushed and killed in 2014. The Act mandates the Department of Justice to establish a voluntary nationwide system to promptly notify authorities about threats to law enforcement, assist in capturing suspects who kill or injure officers, and locate missing officers during their duties. Under this cooperative agreement, the COPS Office aims to support states currently participating in the National Blue Alert Network and promote awareness in states not yet participating. Key deliverables include producing educational materials like videos, factsheets, newsletters, and presentations, compiling monthly summaries of Blue Alert activations nationwide, and documenting incidents of officer heroism. Additionally, the program calls for systematic research and documentation of law enforcement officers shot in the line of duty across the United States, its territories, and tribal lands. Eligible applicants for this funding opportunity include all public governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, for-profit commercial entities (which must forgo any profit or management fees), institutions of higher education, community groups, and faith-based organizations. Collaborative applications involving multiple entities are allowed, although only one organization can be designated as the primary applicant. Other participating entities must be listed as subrecipients and comply with federal award terms and guidance specified under 2 C.F.R. § 200.331. Applications must be submitted through both Grants.gov and the JustGrants system. For technical assistance with Grants.gov, applicants can reach support via the 24/7 hotline at 800-518-4726 or email support@Grants.gov. Technical assistance for JustGrants is available via JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov or by calling 833-872-5175. Programmatic questions should be directed to the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770 or AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov, available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. The grant opportunity opened on May 14, 2025, and the application deadline is June 24, 2025. A total of $150,000 is available for this program, with one expected award and a maximum award amount of $150,000. The minimum award is not set. The grant does not require matching funds. Awards are contingent upon appropriated funding and compliance with federal statutes and executive directives related to law enforcement practices and priorities.

Entities applying collaboratively must designate one lead applicant and list all others as subrecipients in compliance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.331. Awards are subject to DOJ priorities, including officer hiring, drug control, border security, and crime prevention.