A Kansas county and three cities will share

nearly $482,000 from the U.S. Justice Department to hire military

veterans for law enforcement jobs.

The grants were announced Monday under the Justice Department’s

Community Oriented Policing Services program, or COPS.

In Kansas, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Department is

receiving about $113,000. Grants of $125,000 are going to the Paola

Police Department and the city of Andover, while the city of

Liberal will receive about $118,000.

All new positions funded by this year’s grants must be filled by

military veterans who have served at least 180 days since Sept. 11,

2001.

In all, the Justice Department said it’s awarding more than $111

million this year to public safety agencies nationwide to create or

save about 800 law enforcement positions.