San Francisco wins funding for 50 cops

The money was awarded based on a city’s financial situation, crime rates and the strength of community policing programs, according to U.S. Department of Justice officials.

Cities suffering deep budget cuts and high crime rates, but with strong community policing, fared best in the funding competition.

San Francisco received money for the maximum number of officers allowed. The money can be used to prevent layoffs or hire new officers.

A Police Department spokesman, Sgt. Wilfred Williams, said it would likely use the funds to revive at least one Police Academy class. The City normally holds three classes each year, training 40 to 50 recruits at a time. Academy classes for the 2009-10 fiscal year had been eliminated due to The City’s budget crisis.

San Francisco will also use the money to hire officers to fill positions that would have been left vacant due to budget cuts, according to its application for federal assistance.