The City of El Paso will receive $2.25 million in federal funding to hire 18 new police officers, according to an announcement from Congressman Tony Gonzales (TX-23). The funds come from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) through the Department of Justice and are administered under the COPS Hiring Program.
“El Paso has consistently ranked among the safest cities in the nation and it’s thanks to our dedicated law enforcement in the region. To continue ensuring the public safety, I’m pleased to announce a new $2.25 million federal COPS grant that I helped support and fund through my role on the House Appropriations Committee. I want to thank Mayor Johnson and Police Chief Pacillas for their partnership on this key investment that will keep communities along the borderland safe and secure,” said Congressman Tony Gonzales.
El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson also commented on the award: “Public safety is one of my top priorities, and this investment represents a major step forward in our ongoing efforts to keep El Paso one of the safest large cities in the country. I want to thank Congressman Tony Gonzales for his support of El Paso and for his leadership in helping secure this critical funding. His commitment to strengthening public safety and investing in our law enforcement officers makes a real difference for our community. This COPS grant will help ensure our police department has the resources it needs to continue serving with excellence and integrity.”
Earlier this year, Congressman Gonzales expressed his support for El Paso’s request for COPS grant funding in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Gonzales serves on the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, which oversees funding for programs like COPS grants. He has supported increased funding for these grants and assisted Texas communities in obtaining them through letters of support and meetings with Department of Justice officials.
In July, Gonzales met with Mayor Johnson and local police officials to discuss public safety resource needs. He is also working on additional funding priorities for borderland public safety, including requests for radio equipment upgrades at Socorro Police Department and establishing a Drone Workforce Development Center at UTEP. Both projects have advanced through committee review in Congress.
Tony Gonzales has secured electoral victories over several opponents since 2020, including Santos Limon in 2024, John Lira in 2022, and Gina Ortiz Jones in 2020.
