RENO — The Reno Police Department was able to retain 10 officers by modifying a previous grant the department received, according to a statement issued last week.

In August 2009, the city of Reno was awarded a three-year grant from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Recovery Program in the amount of $2,692,960. Under the grant, the Reno Police Department was awarded funds to hire 10 new officers to broaden the community-oriented policing programs. Declining revenues caused a citywide reduction in force in April. The reduction included 28 Reno police officer positions, 13 of which were new police recruits who had recently graduated from the Northern Nevada Law Enforcement Academy, five were through retirements and attrition and 10 were new officers already working in the community.

The Reno Police Department immediately petitioned to change the grant terms from being limited to new hires to be used to retain the 10 new police officers already working in the community. The COPS legal office approved the change, allowing for 10 officers to be retained.