Police departments across Alaska will soon be beefing up their forces with federal stimulus money, the White House announced Tuesday.

Alaska will get more than $5 million in grants to hire 23 law enforcement officers as part of $1 billion in funding allocated under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The grants are going to 1,046 agencies from all 50 states and will cover about 4,700 positions.

In Alaska, the biggest recipient will be the Anchorage Police Department, which was awarded $2.6 million to cover nine positions. The Fairbanks Department of Public Safety was awarded $530,000 to cover two positions and 12 other communities will get funding for one position each. They are:

• Akiachak Native Community, $164,000

• Akiak Native Community, $94,000

• Alakanuk Tribal Council, $172,000

• Anvik Tribal Council, $139,000

• Atmautluak Traditional Council, $80,000

• City of Gambell, $133,000

• Village of Kwethluk, $113,000

• Village of Manokotak, $171,000

• Native Village of Kotlik, $145,000

• City and Borough of Sitka, $264,000

• Tuluksak Native Community, $98,000

• City and Borough of Yakutat, $325,000

The money covers the full entry-level salary and benefits for newly hired, full-time sworn officers. It can also be used to cover salaries of officers who have been or will be laid off because of budget cuts.

The grant money, which will be administered by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, covers the positions for the first three years, with departments required to retain the positions for a fourth year.

"Money for enhanced public safety should be welcomed in communities across our state," Sen. Mark Begich said in a statement. "The COPS program made a huge difference in crime rates when it was funded in the 1990s, and this is a perfect opportunity to impact crime rates again, as well as create jobs that will clearly make a difference."

Find James Halpin online at adn.com/contact/jhalpin or call him at 257-4589.

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